New Beginnings
by SpencerRemyLvr
Summary: Sequel to "The Other Side of Him"
1. Chapter 1

_Here's the long awaited sequel to "The Other Side of Him". This story won't make sense unless you've read that one. In this story, Spencer branches off from the Bureau and he starts his own Criminal Profiling business and learns that being the boss isn't always easy. The X-Men are also brought into this story, because honestly, Spencer and Remy always have to meet. It's just in the rules. Now, this story is slow going. I'm taking my time and being careful about writing it, and I'm also writing on "Healers" at the same time, so to any of you that subscribe to this story, I'm warning you right now, in advance, that this is probably going to be a story I update once every week. That's my goal at least. But this is going to be a slow story at first while I have other things going. I've just been requested quite a bit in PM's lately to please start posting this, even if it is so, so I gave in and here it is. I hope you like it!_

* * *

Out of all the things Spencer had figured that he would miss from the BAU, the jet had not been one of them. Yet after what should've been a two and a half hour drive back home from Philadelphia that had ended up being a four hour drive with horrendous traffic, the jet was at the top of his wish list. It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't had to be the driver. His passengers sure seemed to be having an easy time of it. Tanya was stretched out in the backseat, asleep, and Derek was sleeping in the passenger's seat. Spencer had resisted the urge more than once to snarl at them for it. Not that it he could really blame them. If he wasn't the one driving, he would've been asleep, too. The day had been a long one.

He, Tanya and Derek had set out early this morning to go to Philadelphia and tour some real estate to try and find a place to set up the private consulting business that Spencer and Tanya were actually going forward with. They'd debated this quite a bit in the three months since Spencer had quit the BAU. The idea had been tossed around back and forth not only between him and Tanya, but amongst the rest of the people that made up their little group. Because this wouldn't be just them that went. Others would be coming with them. Pretty much everyone except for Lillian and her husband had all voiced their desire to come with them. Not just to help work at this business but so they could also continue their other work together.

So, after some long talks and some late nights, Spencer and Tanya had finally built themselves a business plan. They'd hammered out what they wanted to do and what services they wanted to offer. Officially, they'd be listed as Criminal Profiling Consultants. Tanya claimed she'd find them a better name and soon. Spencer wasn't so worried about that. He'd leave that aspect of things up to her. What he had focused on was sitting down with Dave, Derek, JJ and Emily and having them help him come up with a list of services he could offer. That had been an interesting afternoon. In the end, they'd put together the most comprehensive list that they could. What they came up with was:

_Criminal/Behavioral/Accident Profiling_

_Modus Operandi Analysis_

_Case Linkage/Comparison Report_

_Risk and Threat assessment Report_

_Scene Analysis and Reconstruction_

_Handwriting Analysis and Cryptanalysis_

_Expert Witness Testimony_

_On-Site Consulting_

_Stalking_

_Geographical Profiling_

_Psychological Profiling_

_Victimology_

_Cold Case Investigations_

It looked like a hell of a long list when written down like that. Spencer had been surprised to see all of it written out that way. Those were all things that he had done at the BAU without even really thinking of them as separate things. To him, they'd all been a part of the job and that was it. Seeing it written out and itemized that way was just strange. They hadn't even put everything on there that they usually did! Some of it required a better trained team than what Spencer was going to be able to offer. He was currently going to be the only 'profiler' there. Tanya's psychology degree would be helpful, thankfully. She'd never stopped studying over the years to try and raise that degree higher. In two months, she'd have finally raised her degree up the way she wanted and she'd be able to put those letters after her name. Then she'd be Dr. Tanya Bingham.

Surprisingly, Darcy was interested in all of this. Interested enough that she was enrolling in a profiling class. She'd surprised Spencer completely when she told him that she'd been going to night school for years now and that she now had B.A.'s in criminology and sociology. He couldn't believe that she'd never told him! "I wanted to make sure I could do it before I told anyone." She'd explained to him, shrugging it off like it was nothing. "The classes turned out easier than I thought they'd be."

So, soon enough Spencer would have two other 'profilers' to assist him. It wasn't like the business would be riding solely on his shoulders. Plus, the others would be able to help out in their own capacity. Years of studying and chasing down these trafficking rings had taught everyone how to be quite the investigators. It was a very feasible plan they had here. They could work this consultant gig and bring in money to support themselves while at the same time they'd be able to take in other cases, cases that no one would take, cases that involved mutants, and they'd be able to continue their own work. It was a win-win situation. At least, so long as it all worked out.

Today had been a big step in that direction. To do this, they needed a place to work and Philadelphia had been the city they'd all agreed upon. The fact that they were going to essentially be working for the Mutant Underground Railroad in a place that was rife with history for the original Underground Railroad was something that only made it all the more appealing. Spencer quite enjoyed the connection. He and Tanya had brought Derek with them to view the different places today because Spencer knew Derek was experienced in real estate and he knew the man would be able to point out any trouble for them. Sure enough, he'd told them to bypass the first place because of quite a few structural problems that the agent had failed to inform them about.

It had taken until the final property before they found the one they wanted. The place was close to downtown and it had once been a law firm before the group moved to a bigger location. It had everything they wanted and needed. A reception desk and waiting area up front, four personal offices inside, a room that could be turned into a comfortable interview room, a large conference room that would become like the round-table room at the BAU, a break room with a small kitchen, and a multipurpose room that would become their electronic hub. Basically, everything they needed for their business to get started. And the price was just in Spencer's range.

Traffic ahead thinned out a little and Spencer breathed out a sigh of relief. Only ten minutes later, he was pulling up to the curb just outside Derek's home. He parked the car and turned towards his friend, reaching out to give him a quick shake. "Morgan, you're home."

"Huh?" Derek stirred and blinked his eyes a few times, obviously a little disoriented. Then his vision cleared and he looked up at his house. "Oh. We're home. Damn, I slept the trip away. Sorry about that, kid."

"It's fine." Spencer was proud of the fact that he didn't growl those words at all. "I'll give you a call later. Go on and go get some sleep. And thanks again, Morgan. I really appreciated this."

"No problem, Reid. You know that."

One last smile and then Derek was out of the car and making his way up the drive. Spencer waited patiently until Derek was in his door before he drove away.

He was just pulling in to the driveway of Tanya's house when she started to stir. He snuck a look in the rearview mirror while he put the car into park and turned it off. "Good timing, Tanya. We're home."

"Thank God." She sat up with a yawn and stretched her arms out. "I'm ready to be home. It's been a long day."

"Says the woman who slept the entire trip home."

"You could've woke me, Spencer." She reminded him as she climbed out of the backseat. "I would've switched out with you."

He grumbled under his breath and took advantage of being out of the car to give himself a full body stretch. What he really wanted was a way to stretch out all of his muscles. That wasn't going to happen, though. At least not out here. Not even really once he got inside, either. For a brief moment he thought longingly of driving out to a favorite Inn of his, the Inn at Little Washington, just an hour and a half away. From there, it wasn't hard to slip out at night and make his way outside of town to a spot he knew he could hide his car, and from there he could easily switch forms and take off into the trees. Much as Spencer wasn't typically the outdoors type, there was nothing better than taking a bit of time to stretch out his inner cat. Honestly, he would've preferred a run through the deserts at home. The sun and the heat and all that open space to just…run. Stretch. Hunt.

The last thought sent a small shiver running through Spencer. Even with as much control as he had over his instincts and behavior, the desire to hunt was a strong one sometimes. One that he had always found other ways to satisfy. Working at the BAU had done the job perfectly. The predator inside of Spencer had been pleased with hunting down the Unsubs and bringing them in. But now? Now, he didn't even have that, and he was getting restless.

"Spencer? You coming?"

Spencer looked up and saw Tanya standing up near her front door. He realized that he'd just been standing there by the car, staring off into space. Damn. Giving himself a quick mental shake, he pushed those thoughts back and down. Soon enough he'd be working again. Soon, he'd have this new business plus their 'extra' work and he'd probably find himself pressed to get any private time at all. Until then, the cat in him was going to have to just manage.

Pulling out his best smile, he started towards his friend. "I'm coming!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Six Months after last Chapter_

This wasn't exactly how Logan had planned on spending his night. Sitting here in Scott's office, waiting on him to show up, wasn't his idea of a good time. If the man was going to summon him here then the least he could do was actually be here when Logan arrived. The mental summons he'd received from Jean had simply asked him to come to Scott's office and wait for him. If it weren't for the fact that it had sounded important, he would've bailed out after the first ten minutes he'd spent waiting in here. He wasn't some little dog to come at a command and wait around patiently. There were much better things he could be doing right now.

A sound out in the hallway drew Logan's attention. He looked away from the window he'd been staring out and turned around in just enough time to see the door open and Remy LeBeau come strolling in. One look at him and Logan let out a snort. Dressed in skin tight leather pants and a red silk shirt with his trench thrown over it all, with his auburn hair hanging loose and windblown around his head, the Cajun looked like he'd just rolled out of bed and he smelled like the barroom of a whorehouse. Smoke and alcohol clung to him almost as strongly as the leftover scents of sex. Those devil eyes found Logan easily enough and a friendly smile curved lips that were usually smirking at people. Very few people got to see the honest and open expression that Remy wore now as he strode across the room towards Logan. But these two had a friendship that was closer than a lot of people here realized. "Logan! Y' got called in too, _mon ami_?"

"You think I'm here just for fun?" Logan grumbled, arching a brow. "I got better things I could be doin."

Remy let out a husky laugh and hooked a nearby chair with his foot. He dropped down into it, long legs kicking up so that his boots landed on the window sill in front of Logan. A cigarette was pulled out of his pocket and brought up to his lips. "Aint dat de truth? Remy was havin' a _bon_ time when de call came in." He paused long enough to use a fingertip to charge and light the end of his cigarette and then he grinned broadly up at Logan. "A real _bon_ time."

"And ya actually stopped to answer your phone?"

"It was Remy's emergency phone. Always answer dat one, me. Cyke knows not to call dat one less'n it's important."

"And it is." Scott's voice cut in.

The two turned to look as Scott marched in and made straight for his desk. He didn't even turn to look their direction as he told them "I've got an important job for you two."

The fact that he didn't lecture Remy for having his feet up on the window or for smoking in here, two things that Remy had done specifically to irritate the man, gave testament to how serious this was. Logan discarded any of the growling remarks he'd planned on making and Remy abandoned his casual pose. Almost at the same time, the two shifted away from the window and moved to join Scott at his desk. "What's the job?" Logan asked.

Scott stepped behind his desk and bent over the computer, fingers typing away quickly at the keyboard. "As of eight hours ago one of Emma's students went missing. Natalie Huseman, only twelve years old. She has the ability to generate balls of pure white light which she can throw out at people. What's more, the rest of her matches as well. She's white from head to toe. Skin, hair, eyes, everything." With one last click, Scott straightened up and moved off to the side where his printer was coming to life. "A group of students were apparently out at the movies and Natalie got separated from the group on their way back to the car. One of the students actually witnessed two men grabbing Natalie. They said one snapped a bracelet on her wrist and then they threw her into a van. None of the others were able to respond in enough time before the van tore out of there. They alerted Emma immediately and the search was started, but nothing's been turned up."

A low, furious rumble built down low in Logan's chest. Son of a bitch. A kid! Someone had stolen a damn _kid_! "Did they get a good enough look at the bastards that took her to give a description?"

Scott grabbed one of the papers that he'd just printed and he held it out to them. "Emma pulled the image from the boy's mind and used it to help one of her more artistic students draw up a quick sketch. This is the best we have."

It was Remy who reached out and took the picture. All signs of his earlier playfulness were gone; he was all business. His scent, though, carried a fury to it that wasn't often there. Anything to do with kids always got to the Cajun. Someone stealing kids—only Logan knew how hard that would hit him and how personal it would make the whole thing. Remy's sharp eyes scanned the picture once before passing it over to Logan. "Aint much to go on, Cyke. De guy's pretty generic. Average. Dat's probably intentional. Dis has a professional feel to it. Pro's pick people dat can blend in wit' everyone so dey don't stand out in a crowd. Dey're harder to catch, too."

"That's why I'm sending you two." Gathering up the last of the papers as they finished printing, Scott slid them into a folder and then finally turned so that he was fully facing them, his expression hard. He held the folder out to them. "Emma asked for help and I told her I'd send my best. There's no better than you two at finding someone, especially in these circumstances. She's already been gone eight hours, plus the time it'll take to get you two there. Right now you're our best bet at getting her home."

Much as he hated to do it, Logan had to point out the obvious here. "You know there's a chance that girl aint gonna be alive to bring home."

"_Non_." Remy disagreed. He had taken the folder from Scott and was scanning the papers in there, which included everything Emma had on the girl and her powers, plus written up statements from the other kids that had been there. Basically, everything they'd need to know to hit the ground running. "Like Gambit said b'fore, dis has a professional feel to it. Dis don't feel like no random snatch and grab. Dey took her fo' a purpose. What worries Gambit is whatever dis bracelet t'ing is dat dey put on her."

"You'll have plenty of time to debate it. I've got the Blackbird ready to go. Jean and I will be flying you two out. How soon can you be ready?"

Logan and Remy exchanged one of those looks that good friends use that manage to ask and answer countless questions without a word. When Logan looked back to Scott, he had their answer. "Give us five minutes to grab our bags and we'll meet you there."

"Then let's move."

* * *

Everything was set up so that no time was wasted when they arrived at Emma's school. Emma was waiting for them in the hanger when they arrived and her usual coolness was even more pronounced than normal. Everything about her displayed an icy fury that screamed threat to anyone with the sense to see it. Sharp eyes bypassed Scott and Jean and locked straight on Logan and Remy as they exited the jet. "What do you need?" She asked without preamble. This was her student that had been taken, a young student of hers, and she would do anything it took to get her back. Whatever they needed would be theirs.

"Transportation." Logan answered. He came to a stop a few feet in front of her and adjusted his bag over his shoulder. "We need to go take a look at where she was taken. We'll go from there."

Nodding, Emma pulled out a pair of keys and tossed them over. Remy caught them with a quick swipe through the air, just beating out Logan's grab, and he smirked briefly at his friend before that business look slid back over his face. Emma didn't even blink at their antics. Her eyes and voice stayed cool. "I've got a truck out front for you. In the backseat in a compartment underneath the seat you'll find a little something extra, in case the people you speak with need an incentive to answer your questions."

The two understood the message underneath her words. She wasn't talking about weapons. Each man came in with his own weaponry; they had no need of any that she might provide. Money, however—that was almost always the perfect 'incentive' when speaking with people. Remy, who was the one more inclined to buy answers from people instead of beating those answers out of them as Logan might, met her eye and nodded. "_Merci_."

"Don't thank me. Just find her."

That sharp remark echoed after them as they set out through the house. Despite his teasing earlier, Remy tossed the keys to Logan when they reached the front of the house. As promised, there was a truck waiting there for them. Remy went straight to the passenger's seat and climbed in, dropping his own bag down on the floor in the backseat of the cab. He was twisted around and was checking out the compartment under the seat when Logan climbed into the driver's seat. A quick look inside the bag and Remy gave a pleased hum. "Dere's enough in here to bribe half de city."

Logan snorted and tossed his bag back there, grinning when it hit the seat and snapped the compartment shut almost on Remy's hands. He ignored the curse it earned him. "Don't even think about it, Gumbo. Knowing her, she'll want an accounting of every dollar spent. You really think she's dumb enough to let your ass run round town with her cash and _not_ be cautious about it?"

"Aint cautious enough." Remy dropped back into his seat and smirked while he watched Logan start the truck. "She's letting us leave de property wit' it, _non_?"

"Maybe she figures I'll keep your ass in line."

Silence filled the truck for a half a beat. Then laughter broke through the air. Remy kicked back in his seat as Logan took the truck down the long drive. "_Dieu_, if dat's what she t'inks, den she aint as smart as Remy gave her credit fo'. Aint no one alive cept fo' Papa dat can keep dis Cajun in line."

"What about that aunt of yours?"

"Mattie?" Remy gave him a look that clearly asked if he was crazy. "She don't gotta keep Remy in line cause Remy aint stupid enough to act up in front of her, _homme_. Learned dat lesson right quick when Remy was a pup."

Logan stopped at the main road and gave a quick look before pulling out. He flashed a sharp toothed grin to his friend. "She get ya good, huh?"

The Cajun gave a theatrical shudder. "She wields a mean switch. Made Remy go an fetch it, too."

"So that's the secret to Cajun tamin'? A switch?"

"Just y' try it, we'll see who gets switched. Aint no one tamin' Remy." Just the thought of that had Remy snorting. Sitting back a bit, Remy kicked his feet up on the dash. Then he cracked the window a bit and pulled out both his cigarettes and the folder Scott had given him earlier. Next came his cell phone. On the flight out here he'd already started making a few phone calls. For those, he just had to wait to hear back from them .But now that he was in town and now that he had bribe money, that opened up a whole new group of people for him. Still, "De first t'ing we should do is check de security footage at de theater."

"You think they're gonna let us see it?" Logan asked.

"Dey'll let us. Just gotta ask de right way." That wouldn't be that difficult. Between a bit of charm and a bit of cash, he'd have those security tapes in no time. That didn't worry him. No, what worried him was something else entirely. He flipped open the folder and looked over the words he'd already read. Absently he flicked some cigarette ash out the window.

Logan caught something in his mood in that way of his that no one else seemed capable of. "What is it?"

"Dis whole t'ing…I don't like it, Logan. It don't feel right."

The use of first person told Logan just how serious Remy was. His speech patterns were a good way to judge his mood. Switching to first person speech was always a surefire sign that Remy was being serious or honest about something. It said he felt strongly enough that he wasn't able to distance himself from it as he usually did with his third person speech. That meant that this had to feel really, _really _wrong to him. Logan couldn't hold in his grimace. It felt wrong to him, too. "No, it don't. This aint messy like you'd expect a kidnapping. And it can't be for ransom. The girl don't have a thing and no one's contacted Emma for shit."

"Aint FOH or anyt'ing like dat, either. We would've heard somet'ing by now. A video, a news story, somet'ing. Or we would've found a body." Remy didn't stumble over the word the way that others might have. That was another reason that Scott had chosen them for this. Neither man would shy away from the darker things that this might involve. They'd also be the most likely two to recognize those darker things.

"I think you were right earlier. This feels professional. Whoever took her, they took her for a purpose, an it aint a good one."

"If it is, we aint gonna find anyt'ing. Dey'll cover deir tracks."

"We still gotta try." Logan pointed out.

Of course they did. "_Oui_, we do."

Still, both of them knew that their chances of finding anything were slim to none. It wasn't going to stop them from trying, though. They'd exhaust every avenue available to them. But deep inside, they both knew they weren't bringing Natalie home tonight. Wherever she was, it wasn't going to be here.

* * *

Night was slowly giving way to morning by the time the two X-Men returned to Emma's school. Their return found Scott, Jean and Emma sitting together in Emma's office, quietly discussing the night. All three looked up as Remy and Logan made their way into the room. Logan, cigar clamped between his teeth, gave a shake of his head at their questioning looks. He stopped by one of the chairs near the trio and hooked his hands in his pockets. "We found no trail at all. Nothing. If anyone's heard anything about an all-white girl, they aint talkin'."

"An we gave em plenty of incentive to talk." Remy said. He slid down into the chair in front of Logan, ending up in a loose-limbed sprawl that looked deceptively lazy.

"You found _nothing_?" Emma demanded. The look on her face was a toss-up between devastated and furious. She sat up straighter in her chair, hands gripping the armrests. "All this time and you come back to us with nothing? I thought you two were supposed to be the best at this!"

Logan arched a brow at her and reached up to pull his cigar from his mouth. "We can't make shit appear out of thin air. We're good, but we aint that good."

"So what exactly were you out there doing all this time if you weren't finding Natalie and bringing her home?"

"Emma." Scott cut in to Emma's rant with that low, steady tone, the one that he used when he wasn't being Scott, their friend, but Cyclops, their field leader. He waited only for her to pause for breath before he spoke to Logan and Remy. "Report."

This was something the two were well used to. Logan and Remy had been sent out by Scott many different times for different jobs, not all of them sanctioned by the rest of the house. Sometimes not even by the Professor. While they may give one another tons of shit in other aspects of their life, this was one area that they were all three all business. They had a system to dealing with each other and they were all comfortable on it. Here, they may still razz Scott sometimes, but they put aside their differences for the most part and they worked toward the greater goal, taking care of things that the rest of the team didn't even know about. Things that, sometimes, walked the edge on what was acceptable or respectable.

"We checked out the place she was taken from and basically found shit." Logan said, his frustration obvious in his words. "No one saw anything strange, least not that they're willing to talk about. We found one person at the theater who saw her get yanked into the van and he gave us a plate number. Gumbo had some contacts of his run the plate for us and it came back that the plates were stolen. There wasn't anything on the surveillance, either. These bastards, they're good."

"Dey're pros." Remy corrected. He was dancing a card across his knuckles in a gesture that might've seemed casual to those that didn't know just how deadly he could make that card. Those that knew him knew the overt threat that was in that gesture. "Y' aint gonna find y'r girl dis way. Dese people, dey done dis b'fore."

"What makes you say that?" Jean asked.

Remy huffed out a breath and slanted a look at her overtop his sunglasses. "Everyt'ing. Dey took de girl in a public place where she was at her most vulnerable. Dey got her into a van dat was parked behind somet'ing dat obstructed de camera's view, an dey did it wit'out her usin' her powers and wit'out alerting anyone dat was wit' her until it was too late fo' dem to do anyt'ing. De people dey used were average, boring looking people dat aint no one gonna really remember seeing cause dey just blend dat well. Dis was done wit' precision and skill."

"Why would they take her, though? What do they want?" Emma demanded.

The sudden increase in tension in Remy's body was caught only by Logan. To the eye of everyone else, the Cajun looked as relaxed as if he were ready for bed, his body still loose and relaxed. Logan knew better. He knew Remy could spring from that sprawl in an instant and already be fighting before he was fully to his feet. Discreetly, Logan shifted forward just enough that he could lay his hand on the back of Remy's chair and, at the same time, let his fingers casually brush against the man's shoulder in a show of support and a reminder to keep his calm. "We think they might be traffickers." He answered for them, saying the words none of them wanted to hear. "If they wanted her for something else, we would've gotten word by now, or a body would've been found. Most likely these are traffickers, scooping kids up to put them on the auction block and sell em."

"We wanna find her, we gotta hunt de people dat took her, not de girl herself." Remy said. His voice dropped a little lower, a little harsher, taking on an edge to it that had Jean and Emma both giving an unconscious little shiver. "Gambit put word out wit' a few people. If dere's any group dumb enough to be workin' anywhere nearby, we'll know about it in a few days."

"Until we get word, there aint much we can do. Have Chuck keep an eye out for the kid's mind if he can and keep our ear to the ground. But if it's a group that's got her." Logan paused and shrugged. "There aint much we can do till we find them. We just gotta hold on to the fact that they aint gonna kill her. Girl like her would be worth a lot alive and undamaged."

The silence in the room was oppressive as both Jean and Emma fought to come to grips with the idea of human/mutant traffickers being involved in here. Of the two, Emma was having an easier time. This wasn't the first time she'd been exposed to this. Even so, being exposed to something previously didn't make it any easier to deal with it when it was happening to someone that you knew; someone that you cared about.

Scott wasn't paying any attention to the two women. He was discreetly watching his two best trackers, taking in their body language, his hidden eyes noting the physical grounding that Logan was giving to Remy, the slight tension across Logan's shoulders the only outward sign of just how prepared the man was for trouble. What kind of trouble, though? He looked as if he were ready to catch Remy and shove him right back down into the chair. Scott followed that thought and let his gaze drop down to Remy. Reading him was always difficult; the man showed what he wanted to show and nothing else. He had perfected the ability to hide what he felt underneath countless masks and covers. He was like a chameleon, changing his look to suit what he wanted to show, and very rarely did it match what he actually felt.

At least, that was how he normally was. Scott was surprised to see just how much he could read off the man right now. Remy was dancing a card back and forth across his knuckles, the speed with which he did it a clear indicator to the fury that sat closer to the surface than Scott could ever remember seeing it before. He was slouched down in his chair with one leg drawn up in a posture that oozed equal amounts of sex and danger in a heady combination that Scott had only ever seen Remy manage to pull off. Whether it was just a talent of his, or if it was his 'charm' radiating around him, that was anyone's guess. The man could tempt a saint if he put his mind to it. Scott had learned, though, that Gambit at his most sexual could also be Gambit at his most dangerous. And it was Gambit here, Master Thief, deadly fighter, someone that you'd have to be an absolute fool to cross. Gambit the X-Man, Remy, was nowhere to be seen.

Logan tilted his head slightly, catching Scott's attention, and he stared straight into Scott's visor like he could actually see through it to the man's eyes, and maybe somehow he could, because as soon as their eyes connected, Logan flicked his eyes down to Remy, over to the door, and then back to Scott again in a very clear message. Scott subtly nodded his acquiescence, showing that he understood, and for the benefit of the rest of the room, he broke the silence to say "Wolverine, Gambit, head back to the 'Bird and get things prepared. Jean and I will be down momentarily."

The two men wasted no time. Remy flowed to his feet in one graceful move, his card finishing its last journey across his knuckles and vanishing up his sleeve, and he bowed at them with a flourish of his coat before spinning on his heel. Logan led the way out of the room, his heavy tread such a contrast to the man sauntering along behind him, and as they left the room the thick cloud of dangerous tension left with them.

Logan waited till they were down the hall and around the corner, safely out of sight, before he dropped back next to Remy. He slanted a look at his still furious friend and couldn't help breathing in a little deeper, drawing in that sweet and musky scent that clung to him, a smell that Logan was oh-so-familiar with. Dropping his voice down low just for the thief to hear, he murmured "Much as I love ya, Gumbo, I don't wanna fuck you. Suck the charm back in before you start something you aint gonna wanna finish."

A low, husky chuckle came from Remy and the man slid around in front of Logan, completely unperturbed to be walking backwards, moving with a stealth and confidence that he was known for. He tossed his head and shot Logan a flirtatious look over the top of his sunglasses, still oozing out charm, and Logan felt a low growl building deep in his chest.

The card that had vanished up Remy's sleeve before now appeared again and Logan had just enough time to lean back as Remy charged it and flicked it up in the air between them. The Cajun did a quick flip back, ending on his feet a few feet away at the same time that the card gave a small blast between them, not even strong enough to really do more than turn the card to ash. Still, Remy was grinning broadly when the smoke cleared, and his bad mood seemed to have been replaced by good humor. The charm was gone, as was a good amount of the tension in him, which was what Logan had been angling for. "Nice to know I still got what it takes…even if y' aint never in'erested." Remy teased him. Smiling broadly, he spun with another wide flourish of his coat and took off down the hall with a laugh, Logan growling light-heartedly and chasing after him, happy that the Cajun's mood has lifted, however briefly.


	3. Chapter 3

The smell of brewing coffee led Spencer out to the kitchen of his new condo. The first cup was poured and mixed on autopilot, the movements so familiar he could perform them with his eyes closed—and he practically did. It was drunk standing in the middle of his kitchen. By the time the first cup was gone, his brain felt awake enough to actually start to function some. The second cup was poured and carried with him to the bathroom, where he drank it as he prepared his shower. It was the same ritual he'd completed every morning for the past two months, ever since he'd made the move from DC to here in Philadelphia. The shower was the second step in bringing him to an alert state.

After finishing his shower and brushing his teeth, he dressed and made his way back out to the kitchen for the last cup in the pot. Then, he sat down at his table to check any messages on his machine while sifting through his mail. Some mornings it was a little harder than others to drag himself out of bed. This was one of those mornings. Even when he was settling down at his table with that third cup of coffee, he still felt tired. One hand lifted to run through long, shaggy brown hair, brushing the still wet strands back from his face, and he gave an absent thought towards getting a haircut. He was starting to get that shaggy look again. Then he pressed the play button on his answering machine before sitting back in his chair to listen.

The first message was from Derek, of course. The man always seemed to be leaving him messages. _"__Hey, kid, I was just checking in and seeing how things are going. Big day tomorrow…or, well, by the time you hear it, it'll probably be 'today', not 'tomorrow'. I just wanted to wish you good luck and let you know that everything's gonna be fine, so don't panic, okay? Call me and let me know how it goes!"_

Don't panic, yeah, great advice. Spencer chuckled a little to himself. The panic hadn't hit quite yet. It probably wouldn't until their first job came in. For now he seemed to be doing okay, despite the fact that today was the official opening day of 'Catamount Profiling – Criminal Profiling Consultants'. Spencer had to shake his head at the name. He seemed to be the only one out of the group that found that utterly ridiculous. Everyone else, including his old team, seemed to think that it was not only a good name, but that it was a neat play on words. Catamount was one of many, many names for a cougar. Outnumbered and outvoted, Spencer had gracefully given in and allowed the name. What did it really matter, anyways? What mattered was the work and Spencer had done everything he could think of to try and drum them up some work. While at the BAU he had consulted with quite a few different departments at the Bureau and even other governmental departments. As soon as he'd started to set up this business, one of the first things Spencer had done was contact some of those people he'd consulted for and set about the tedious work of establishing some kind of continued relationship. He'd been pleasantly surprised at the amount of people he knew who were willing to continue their consultation work with him and hire his company on as a private consultant, provided he get his employees the proper clearance or keep them from seeing the work. All the paperwork was done for Spencer to retain the level of clearance he'd maintained while at the Bureau.

A beep and the sound of another voice drew Spencer out of his thoughts and back to the present. This time it was JJ's voice and Spencer couldn't help the automatic smile that came out. _"__Hey, Spence! Just wanted to wish you good luck for opening day. And someone else has something to say to you too."_ There was a shuffling sound and then Henry's voice came next. "_Good luck Penner! I love you!"_ There was some more shuffling and a little laughter before JJ came back. "_Okay, I guess that's all he had to say. He's off to his puzzle now. I love you too, Spence, and good thoughts are being sent your way. You're gonna be great!"_

Their message brought a small smile to his face. He cradled his cup between his hands and glanced up at one of the photos on the wall that showed JJ and her family. "Love you guys too." He murmured at them.

Another beep and then came Dave's message. _"__Hey, kiddo. Hope you have a fun first day. Don't get too bored sitting there. Remember, things never take off fast. It'll take a while to get into the swing and get your name really out there. Enjoy the quiet while you can!"_

That message beeped over and Spencer wasn't the least bit surprised when the next one started and it was Emily's voice. _"__Good luck, Reid! I know you can do this. You're the smartest guy I know and if anyone could do this, it would be you. I've passed your name out to a few friends, by the way, and some people that might be giving you a call. No promises, but I'm pretty sure. Talk to you later!"_

The machine gave a final beep and Spencer took a drink of his coffee in the sudden quiet. He was glad at that moment that he was by himself here. The support of his friends had him just a bit choked up. With no one here to see, he didn't have to try and cover it up, or try to hide the slight sheen of moisture that had built in his eyes. How the hell had he ended up lucky enough to be surrounded by so many good people? For a kid who had grown up without friends, thinking that he was always going to be the odd duck out, the one that no one wanted, he had sure come a hell of a long way. He had more friends than he'd ever had. Derek, JJ, Emily, Penelope and Dave had stayed close to him, even with this move to Philadelphia that he'd done. They called constantly and Spencer got mail from them all the time. JJ often sent Spencer mail that held things Henry had made for him. A couple of the pictures the boy had drawn were framed and were hanging up in Spencer's new office at work. Penelope sent him care packages full of baked goods that she knew he loved. Derek didn't send mail, but he amused the hell out of Spencer more than once by calling up a takeout place not far from Spencer's condo and ordering him up some dinner on nights he was worried Spencer wasn't eating properly.

Then there were his friends here; friends that had uprooted their lives to come here with him. Tanya, McKenna, Liam, Lilo, Darcy, Kasey, Tomas, Sean, Abigail and Zac. Quite a group. When Spencer had talked with his friends about this, his 'team', he'd been stunned by how many of them wanted to come. The only thing that had kept Lillian and her husband from joining them was their clinic. They couldn't just uproot their clinic and abandon all their patients. They were some of the only people around that treated mutants in DC. But they still made Spencer promise that he would call on them if he needed them in any way.

The others had all been more than willing to pack up their lives and move. Spencer had had to do some creative thinking to try and figure out a way for it to all work out. It wasn't that his friends weren't talented or skilled or anything like that. They were all smart people and there were plenty of ways they could help out with the new business. But they were all people that he had met over the years through his rescue efforts, meaning that every single one of them had come off of some kind of mutant trafficking ring. And the mutants that were taken and sold that way were generally ones with a mutation that was either unique, or visible. There were far more mutants with visible mutations than the world realized. Some were simple and easy to explain away, like McKenna's magenta hair. As odd as that was for a physical manifestation, especially considering her power was just a low level telepathy, it was also easy to explain off to others as a dye job.

Liam was one of the most obvious ones out of the group, with his jet black skin covered in those blue tribal like markings. Close behind him came Kasey, who had white fur all over him much like Spencer's fur, white hair, and a very canine nose. Next after him would be Sean, who had a very difficult time passing for human. Sean's mutation was animal as well, though not like Spencer's or Kasey's. Sean's mutation was written all over him, one of the reasons he'd been such a prize on the auction blocks. He had a snake physiology, granting him some physical characteristics of a snake as well as some of their abilities. His skin was paler than most, even Spencer, and it was dusted here and there with shiny silvered scales. They covered parts of his arms, the backs of his hands, the back of his neck and shoulders. Other places as well that were easily covered with clothes. But he could never hide the ones on his face. There his scales were almost like a parody of a mask. They started halfway down his forehead, covering over his eyebrows and perfectly around his eyes and over his eyelids, even. They went back to his temples and down under his eyes and just slightly along his cheeks. As if to make himself even more unique, Sean kept his white blond hair shaved into a Mohawk. When he spoke, there was just a slight hiss to his words that took a bit of adjusting to.

Finding things for them to do that would keep them safely out of the public eye had been one thing Spencer had agonized over. Kasey, well, there was no doubt where he needed to be. He was in charge of their tech department, essentially. In a sense, he was going to act as Spencer's 'Garcia'. Just, not as brightly colored or as bubbly, and not as innocent as Penelope still managed to be after all these years. Too many years of training had left their effect on the man and he still had a tendency to be extremely obedient. But with his friends, with people that he had learned to relax around and that he was safe to open up around, he had a wicked sense of humor and loved to play and tease. As Tanya often said, the puppy in him showed through when he was comfortable. Happy, playful, teasing, and absolutely loyal.

Sean was smarter than a lot of people gave him credit for and he had volunteered to help Kasey out with computers. He knew how to do research and had no problems doing it. Plus, as he told Spencer, "I'm a perfect maintenance man, Boss." At the pained look Spencer had given him, Sean had laughed out loud. "Oh, come on. Someone's got to do it, right? I don't have any problems with it. You know I can repair pretty much anything that breaks down, including Kasey's precious computers, and you need someone that can keep things running smoothly."

The one who was hardest to place for work was Liam, and even then, the man calmly made his own place with them. He wanted nothing whatsoever to do with trying to blend in at their offices. Instead, he'd opted to work as their liaison to the local mutant shelter that was going to become their connection to the Underground; Zac and Lilo volunteered to work with him.

The others weren't hard to place. Tanya and Darcy would be working, like him, as profilers, each with their own areas of expertise. Tanya had her Ph.D. now in psychology and years of studying mutant psychology. Darcy's criminology and sociology degrees plus her own experience from living on the streets and dealing with the inner workings of gangs would help her bring a unique viewpoint to the table. Tomas was going to be listed as an assistant for Tanya, though he was mainly there to offer in his own viewpoints as well, using his experiences on the streets to help. McKenna was going to be, at her request, Spencer's assistant.

That left Abigail to work the front desk and the phones. She was a perfect choice for it. The twenty four year old blond looked like she could still be a high school cheerleader and had the body of a model. Cheerful, kind, with mental shields that were impenetrable, and she treated everyone like they were long lost friends. She would make people feel welcome and set them at ease when they came in. She was also much, much tougher than she looked, and if serious trouble came to their door she would be perfectly capable of handling it until backup arrived.

Everyone had their place in this new life of theirs. They'd all given up so much to move here and do this with him, all because they wanted to continue their other work, and because they were friends. If this failed…that thought haunted Spencer constantly. He felt the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders and he tried to blow out a breath and blow away some of his tension with it. Sitting around here worrying wasn't going to do him any good. He'd been worrying for months and months. Now was the time to just suck it all up and do what needed to be done. This was his life now. Being scared about the responsibility or about what might happen wasn't going to make anything any better.

Downing the last bit of his coffee, he washed it out in the sink before setting it in the strainer to dry. Then he grabbed his jacket and keys and headed out of his condo. It was time to go open for business.

* * *

Spencer had deliberately set out early enough that he would be the first to arrive at the office. Why it was so important, he couldn't have said. He just knew that it was. It felt right when he pulled in to the parking lot and there was no one else there, and it felt right when he walked up and unlocked the door by himself. He adjusted his bag over his shoulder and stepped in through the doors into _his_ place. Without a word, he locked the door behind him so that no one would be able to sneak in while he was here.

Every time that he'd been here so far, he'd been with someone else, or there'd been workers of some sort here. They'd had to clean things out, do some minor repairs, and they'd had to have inspectors come through once it was all done to make sure that they were up to code. It had felt like there was always someone in here. Then they'd had to fill the building, bringing in furniture bit by bit, setting up all their electronics. Most of their furniture came from second hand stores, flea shops, and one of the desks had even come from a garage sale. Just one thing right after another had kept this place packed full of people and new things. Now, everything was in place, no one was here, and Spencer was free to just walk through here at his own pace, without disturbance.

He didn't even stop to think about the motivation behind his actions as he walked silently from room to room. As he moved through each place, he looked around to make sure that everything was here where it should be and that they were all set. The front room was nicely put together, the two couches against the far wall to the right where people would be able to wait. Ahead and slightly to the left was the front desk where Abigail would set up. Further in, he walked through the other rooms. The conference room, with its long mahogany table and the comfortable chairs that sat around it. The interview room right across the hall with its big couch and two overstuffed chairs, plus a long cabinet and a coffee maker as well as a water cooler, a relaxing place where they would be able to bring people in and talk with them privately and comfortably. He walked Tanya's office next, his fingers absently brushing the surface of the desk they'd picked up from a thrift store and had lovingly refurbished together. Next came a quick tour through the bathrooms, which were all set to go, and then down to the next office, Darcy's.

As he moved through each place, he looked around to make sure that everything was here, where it should be, and that they were all set. Occasionally he would straighten a chair, or run his fingers along the top of a desk. He found himself prowling through the Conference room, with its long mahogany table. If he'd noticed it and stopped to think about it, Spencer would've realized what he was doing. In a very feline way, he was prowling his territory and 'marking' it. He was laying his scent down over everything that he touched just as he'd been doing when he handled every new item as they'd been brought in. This building was a part of Spencer's home territory and the cougar was making sure that any predator that came here would know that it was _his_.

He finished his tour, timing it perfectly to end up right back at the front door just as it hit eight, time to open for business. Spencer was in the process of unlocking the door when he heard a muted clack of heels, the familiar cadence of Tanya's hip swinging stride. He pulled open the door as she got close, tilting his head to watch her face as she rounded the corner and looked up from her handbag. Surprise flashed there before she smiled brightly at him.

Spencer held the door open for her to step through, gesturing inside with one hand. "Good morning, Tanya."

"Someone's here early." She teased him, planting a soft kiss on his cheek as she passed him by. "Abigail was just pulling in behind me, so she'll be at the desk soon."

He let the door close behind her and smiled at her teasing. "I just wanted to make sure everything was in order."

"Mm hm. I'm sure it had nothing to do with that territorial streak you have." She cast him an amused look over her shoulder and winked at him before laughing and disappearing around the corner, heading down towards her office.

Spencer shook his head and chuckled at his sassy friend. Then he made his way down to his own office.

The door swung shut as he returned to his space. A brief moment later he was flicking the switch on his coffee maker and then striding over to the window, looking out at the trees and shrubs that worked to grant a hint of nature and the illusion of privacy outside his office while he listened to the sounds of his coffee brewing behind him. When the room finally fell quiet, he went and poured himself a mug and added the sugar and powdered creaming before going to sit at his desk. He settled into the comfortable chair that Tanya had found for him and he listened to the sounds of the office coming to life. Though the sounds were muted through the door, his sensitive ears picked up on more than most. He heard the sounds of his friends, his people, filling the halls as they arrived and went to their different places. The sound of their footsteps, the low hum of their voices interspaced with occasional bits of laughter, spelled comfort and familiarity to him.

There was a brief knock on his door and then Abigail popped her head in, blue eyes bright with their usual sparkle and her cheerful face warmed by a smile. "Hey Boss, got a package here from D.C."

He sat up straight, setting his cup down on the desktop as his eyes fastened on the brown paper package she held that was about the size of a shoe box. With her usual bouncing step, the peppy girl came in and dropped it down on his desk, giving him another of her dazzling smiles before bouncing back out, all before he could say a word. Her obvious happiness had him smiling. He hadn't worried about her settling in here; so long as she had her friends around her, Abigail would be happy anywhere. For someone who had lived through the things she had, she was one of the most cheerful people he'd ever met.

He returned his attention to the package, instantly recognizing Penelope's handwriting. That was enough to make him both curious and cautious. There was no telling what she'd send to him. He started to unwrap the box carefully until he was left with an actual shoebox sitting there. On the top in bright colors was scrawled 'Spencer's Fun Zone'. The curiosity and caution grew a little stronger. Very, very carefully he lifted the lid and looked down inside. What he found in there brought a laugh of unrestrained joy to his lips. The box was full of toys. Bright, colorful toys of all different kinds, some of which he recognized and knew came straight from Penelope's office, ones that he'd played with countless times while sitting in there and talking with her. They filled the box, surrounding a picture frame holding a copy of an early team photo that had always meant so very much to him. Pulling the picture out, he placed it on the corner of his desk where he would be able to see it each day. For the rest, he put the lid back on the box and pulled open his bottom desk drawer, placing the box inside. He smiled briefly down at the words which reminded him so much of the colorful woman who had sent it to him.

Grabbing his cell phone, he sent off a quick text to her to say thank you. Just as he pressed send, there was another knock at his door. This time it was Tanya who came inside with a file wrapped in her arms. The look on her face had him sitting up at attention. She came right up to his desk and slid down into the chair across from him. "I got a call from a friend of a friend." She told him, wasting no time and just jumping right in. "His name is Kevin Loren and his fifteen year old daughter, Shantessie, is missing. She went to the library, was seen there, but she never made it home." She laid a file down on the desk in front of him. "This is a copy of the police report he made. So far, he says that the cops haven't done anything. One officer came to his house to speak with him and that's it. They basically told him that she probably ran away."

"How long has she been missing?" Spencer asked sharply, instantly on alert. He picked up the file she'd set down and he opened it, eyes scanning over the police report there as well as the photo that had been attached. A pretty young girl looked up at him with bright pink eyes in a heart shaped face that was surrounded by a crimpy cloud of blond hair.

Tanya hesitated briefly before answering. "Two days."

He couldn't help but wince. Lifting his eyes, he met hers across his desk. "Tanya…"

"I know, I know. But Spencer, the cops aren't doing anything about this. Shantessie's a mutant. According to her Dad, she doesn't feel emotions like an empath, but she can project them. He says she changes, too, depending on what she's projecting. Her eyes change color to match the mood she projects."

This was just getting worse and worse. If someone managed to take a girl who had that ability, that had to mean that they'd either killed her right away, or they had a way to cope. Even if they'd incapacitated her, once she was conscious again she would've been able to project, especially since stress made control harder in all mutants and even more so in the younger ones. She would've probably projected her own fear without being able to stop it. If that were the case, it would either terrify the Unsub into leaving, or into killing her—which brought him back to his original thought. Either the Unsub had killed her or had a way to cope with her powers. If it'd been two days and no body had been discovered, the second option was much more likely, and that spoke of something more premeditated.

As if she sensed that she was swaying Spencer to her side, Tanya leaned forward and rested her arms on his desk, her eyes pleading with him. Her voice dropped down to that low and steady tone that had always worked to get the point across to her patients when she'd worked at the school. "There's a chance here that this is more than a simple kidnapping, and no one else is looking for her, Spencer. We have to at least look into this."

What other answer could he give? This was what they were here for. This was one of the things they'd started this business for. Spencer met Tanya's eyes and nodded his head. "Of course we do."

The smile she flashed him was blindingly bright and Spencer had one of those random moments where he was faced with the weight of the utter faith and trust that his friends put in him. His momentary discomfort wasn't noticed by her. "I knew you'd agree." She told him. "I told Mr. Loren we'd discuss things and get back to him before the end of the day. He's willing to hire us for just a quick consultation he can pass on to police or for the duration if we want to come out there, and he offered to cover travel and lodging expenses."

"Let me go down and talk with Kasey first, see what I can put together." Spencer cautioned her. There were a few things he wanted to check out before he committed to anything. With a brief look at his watch, he gathered up the folder in front of him and rose from his chair, Tanya rising with him. "Give me an hour and I'll come let you know what I find, okay? I want to make sure there's nothing that the cops might've missed on the off chance that we don't need to make a trip."

* * *

To get started on the case, they needed information, and for information, Spencer went to Kasey. It was no real surprise to find that Kasey was down playing around in their computer labs. This was his space, his area of expertise, and one of his passions. Spencer had to stop outside the computer lab and input his key code to get in through the door, a precaution they'd set up to not only protect their computers and the sensitive information on them, but to protect Kasey as well. There was no way anyone was getting in the room without a code. The room had undergone the most remodeling, actually getting rid of the windows, to help make it more secure. Lots of private and personal information would be coming through this room. Kasey had actually been the one to suggest sealing the room off this way. With no windows and a locked door, it kept their computers and the information on them secure. It also gave Kasey a sense of personal security, as well as anyone else who came in here with him. Spencer had wanted to make sure that his people had spaces where they were free to be themselves here. With that lock, it left them safe to dress as they wished instead of having to dress to hide on the off chance that someone might see them.

It made him smile to see that Kasey had taken that to heart. The man was dressed in red jeans, a dark red shirt and a black silk vest, a stylish look that was made even more striking by his white fur. It was Kasey's 'business look'. That was slightly offset by the fact that he was barefoot and that he had his legs curled up and his feet tucked under him in his chair.

The sound of the door opening had Kasey spinning his chair towards him. A smile was already stretched wide on his face. "Well look who brought themselves down to the Kennel. An on the first day, too. I'm feeling special."

Spencer couldn't help but wince a little at Kasey's nickname for his room here. "The Kennel? Really, Kasey? _That's_ what you're choosing to call this place?"

Kasey's grin grew a little at Spencer's expression. "It amuses me."

"You have a strange sense of humor."

"Mm, nothing new there." That humor was bright on his face, lighting up his eyes in a way that never failed to make the people around him smile.

Shaking his head, Spencer stopped beside his chair. There was no point in trying to understand the man's humor. If it amused him to call his computer lab 'the Kennel', then so be it. It wasn't hurting anyone. Besides, there were more important things to deal with right now. "I've got some work for you, if you're ready for it."

A look of glee slid over his friend's face. "Oh yeah. I've been dying to test these babies out. What do you need?"

"Tanya brought me a case and I want to gather some information before I make a decision. Kevin Loren's daughter, Shantessie Loren, went missing two days ago after a visit to the public library in Eugene, Oregon. A police report was filed but from what I can see and what Mr. Loren says, nothing's been done about it. Before we take the case or not, I want to make sure that there isn't anything obvious that the police missed because they weren't actually looking."

"So you want me to check the news, web, such like that and see if maybe there've been any bodies found, any unsolved murders, stuff like that?"

"Exactly." Hesitating only for a second, he followed the feeling in his gut and added "And while you're at it, see if there are any similar disappearances in the area."

Knowing that this could take a little bit, Spencer grabbed a nearby chair and rolled it over, folding himself down into it and settling in. He took a moment to just look around the room. This room had originally been a multipurpose room before they'd bought the place. Spencer had left most of the renovations in here up to Kasey, who was helped out by Sean. They'd set the room up to their standards which was fine by Spencer. This wasn't his domain and he had no qualms about admitting that. Along one long wall, there were three flat screen TV's that could be used to display for everyone what Kasey pulled up on the computer. Two long desks were set up with two computers at each one, plus empty desks set up at either end of the room against the two short walls where people could sit down with their laptops. At least, that was what Kasey had told him. Spencer wasn't worried about it. He doubted he'd ever really use the computer in his office. Any reports he made, he'd handwrite, and McKenna had already told him that she had no problems with typing up his handwritten reports for him. Everyone knew that Spencer wasn't all too fond of working with computers unless he had to.

Kasey's fingers flew over the keys, typing with a speed that amazed Spencer as much as his reading speed amazed others. Yet his research didn't stop him from talking at the same time. "I still can't believe you got us access to some of these databases, Boss."

"Don't call me that." Spencer said automatically. "And I told you, it was simple enough. There are quite a few people that owed me some favors. A few phones calls and a whole lot of paperwork and we were set."

"Yeah, but these are just…wow. Those must be some favors you called in."

A hint of a smile ghosted over Spencer's lips. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh." The smirk Kasey wore said he wasn't falling for it, but he wasn't going to push it either. Instead, he shot an amused look over at Spencer and switched topics entirely. "You do realize that you can't quite get on us for calling you Boss anymore, right? Seeing as how you _are_ our boss and all."

Spencer grimaced at that. He'd already been told that, more than once, by a few others. "One of these days I'm going to break you all of that habit." He warned him, glancing up as the door opened and Tomas came walking in. Spencer smiled in greeting, but continued with what he'd been saying to Kasey. "I have a perfectly good name. There are even many variations of it that can be used. Yet the majority of you fail to remember half the time that I have any other name at all."

"Getting the lecture again?" Tomas asked Kasey with a grin.

Any further argument was cut off by a low whistle from Kasey. Instantly Spencer's attention turned to the man. He didn't have to ask what was going on. "Looks like you were right, Boss. I found three other missing persons reports within a fifty mile radius." Kasey said. Three pictures appeared up on the middle screen on the wall. Two boys and one girl. One of the boys was very obviously a mutant with black lips and protruding fangs. "Seventeen year old Tyson Omar, fourteen year old Gawain McNally, and seventeen year old Alyssa Calderon." On the right screen, two different reports appeared and Spencer's eyes were scanning those even as Kasey kept talking. "Two bodies were found as well, both showing signs of torture."

Tomas was looking at the screens as well, reading what was on the reports that Kasey had pulled up. His eyes flashed over to Spencer. "Looks like one of our type of cases."

Unfortunately, Tomas was right. "Yes, it does." This case had just taken on a twist. The missing teenagers, one of which was a mutant, two bodies that showed signs of a methodical type of torture that Spencer knew he'd seen before, and all of it concentrated in the same area, it was a pattern he'd seen quite a few times. What had been a potential case before was now something quite a bit more. _Apparently we're going to just jump right in, right on our first day_, he thought to himself. No time to settle, no small cases to start with. Their first day and they already had a case that not only was on the legal side of things, but that also covered their private work as well. Was he ready for this? For his first case outside of the BAU? A feeling on anticipation coiled low in his gut. He recognized the feeling for what it was. For too long now he'd been stuck on the sidelines of things, getting his business put together, taking care of other important things. Now he was going to go back out there and work once more. He was going to _hunt_.

Though he didn't realize it, his smile was slightly sharp when he turned towards Tomas, and there was a hint of the cougar in his eyes. "Go tell Tanya to call the client and start making arrangements. Then gather everyone together. It looks like we're going to Eugene."

* * *

_There you go, guys, another chapter. I hope y'all are enjoying this :) I do want to say, before you read any further, please remember that Spencer and his team hunt down mutant traffickers. They explained that in TOSOH. That means that we're going to encounter traffickers in this story and all that goes with them. There will be talk of kidnapping, torture, and some horror stories for characters in the past and for what's happening to some characters now. I'll try to make warnings at the beginning of a chapter if there's going to be something serious that you need to worry about or that might be a trigger for someone._

_On a lighter note, I wanted to ask all of you if you'd like me to put up a separate document, a sort of "OC Guide" for this story. I can't do pictures or anything like that, but I can put it up and give a short bio on all the main OC's on this story, if you'd like that, my lovelies. I know sometimes it can be hard to keep track of OC's, especially for an in-progress story._

_Merci for taking the time to read this and for your reviews! You are all wonderful!_


	4. Chapter 4

Working for himself, outside of the Bureau, was going to take some getting used to. Logically, he'd known there would be differences, some of them obvious and others not, but it was still a strange feeling to do all of this and keep coming across those differences. At the Bureau he and the team would've headed to the jet by now and flown out to their case. Aaron would've been in charge of the group of them, assigning them all their roles as he saw fit, making sure that everything was taken care of. All Spencer would've had to do was focus on the case.

Here, things were quite a bit different. First came the decision of who was going to be going with him to Eugene. Not everyone could come. Some couldn't travel easily while others needed to stay here to mind the business. Granted, they were new and just opened today so really, they had no other clients, but they had to keep people here. In the end it was decided that Spencer, Tanya, Lilo, and Tomas would go. Darcy was staying so they had at least one profiler here incase work came in. Liam would've come with them, but airplane travel wasn't as easy for him as it was for others. The small team they had would have to be enough. Spencer and Tanya could work the professional end of things, doing the profiling and working with the client, while Lilo and Tomas would be free to hit up the local mutants. Together, hopefully, it would be enough.

Once that was all figured out, Kasey got them on the first flight out, dipping into the account Spencer had set up just for this purpose. Spencer didn't worry at the moment about whatever payment their client would offer. That aspect of things he gladly let Tanya have her way with. He knew he could trust her to handle it all.

All in all it was a much slower process than Spencer was used to. By the time he and his friends arrived in Eugene, it was early evening.

Spencer had spoken with Kasey not long before landing and so he already knew about the body that had been dumped downtown. Because of that, Spencer altered his original plan, opting to head straight to the crime scene instead of to the police station. He sent Lilo and Tomas out to get started connecting with locals to try and see what they could find out while he and Tanya headed off to the crime scene. This part of things, Spencer was comfortable in. Dealing with crime scenes was familiar. Here, he was in his element. At least, he was right up until they arrived and he tried to walk over to the scene only to be stopped by cops at the barrier. "I'm sorry, but we need you to stay back." One of the officers said firmly.

Here was yet another difference that Spencer hadn't really thought too hard about. FBI agents were of course allowed onto crime scenes. Civilians were not.

Tanya lightly touched Spencer's arm, drawing his attention as she softly murmured in his ear. "Try to do what you can from here and let me talk to the officers. I'll try to get us in as close as I can. But try to see what you can in case they try to boot us out of here."

He could do that. His fingers brushed lightly over her arm in acknowledgement of her words and then he turned his full attention to the scene ahead of him while Tanya started talking to the officer in front of them. Spencer took her advice and tried to profile quickly. His eyes moved rapidly over the scene in front of him, taking in all the detail that he could, imprinting a full mental image of things. One thing he saw right away was that this wasn't the daughter of their client. He couldn't fully see the body from here, what with it being covered, but he caught just enough of a glimpse of hair when a tech moved the cover to know that the hair color didn't match. This wasn't their girl. He logged that fact away and kept looking.

Vaguely, he heard the officer talking with Tanya and he knew they were going to have to go soon. The man sounded irritated. He could hear the guy telling her yet again that they needed to back up when all of a sudden another voice cut into the conversation. "Reid?"

One word, just his last name, and Spencer snapped out of his profiling and turned. Standing nearby looking on with both surprise and a hint of amusement were JJ and Derek. Spencer flashed a smile their direction. "JJ, Morgan. I didn't know the BAU had been called in." He'd asked Kasey to check that before, too, wanting to be prepared just in case. It wasn't an easy thing to learn, though. It wasn't like they announced in advance where they were going.

"We just flew in." JJ told him as she came forward. She didn't hesitate to walk right up and give him a quick hug. "It's good to see you." She let go of him and turned to Tanya, giving her a quick hug as well. She and Tanya had taken to one another pretty well since their first meeting. "Are you two working this case?"

Tanya nodded her head and answered for them while Derek took his hug from Spencer. "We are. We just got the call this morning from the father of a missing girl."

That had the two agents casting a look behind them towards the crime scene. Spencer quickly held up a hand and shook his head. "No, it's not her. Hair color doesn't match." The urge was there to just start talking. It was second nature to discuss ideas and theories with these two. They'd been a part of a team for so long that he had a hard time thinking of them as anything else. Just barely did he manage to keep from launching right in to what he'd been seeing and thinking. That just wasn't the right thing to do here. Not only did he have client confidentiality to worry about, he also needed to make sure he was doing what was best for all parties. And he hated to be manipulative to people that he cared about but he'd be stupid to offer something for nothing.

"Which girl's family are you helping?" JJ asked.

That was a simple enough question and wasn't something that they needed to hide. "Shantessie Loren." Tanya said.

A look passed between JJ and Derek that had Spencer standing up a little straighter. They hadn't known about her; he'd bet his business on that. Interesting. Spencer's thoughts raced quickly before settling on a course of action. "You guys didn't know about her." He told his friends. The headshakes confirmed what he'd already known. "What about Tyson Omar?" Again, they shook their heads, and Spencer fought back the urge to growl a bit. Of course. Of course they wouldn't know about these two. They were the only two mutants in the whole group.

"We haven't heard anything about them." Derek said. "Are they missing?"

Spencer did a quick look around to make sure that they were secure enough to talk here. The officer that had been by them before had moved away once it became obvious the agents were talking to them. They were as private as they could be out here. Only once he was sure of that did he answer Derek's question. "They are. They fit the age range, too. And they're both openly mutants. That's probably why you haven't heard anything about them."

"The locals here aren't that mutant-friendly." Tanya said with only a small curl of her lip to show her disdain. Spencer had to mentally applaud her restraint.

"Great." JJ sighed, casting a look over her shoulder towards the officers on scene a little ways away. "That's just what we need. Like it or not, we need that information and they can't hold it back from us. We can't do our job right without it."

Here was his opportunity. Spencer felt a small pang for twisting the conversation this way but what he was doing was for a good cause. "It was always hard to do our job right even with mutant-friendly LEO's. Families of mutants aren't fond of speaking with cops, let alone federal agents. Most of them won't even report when something happens because they know nothing is going to be done."

One thing about talking with people he had known and worked with for so long was that they tended to see through some of his tricks. Derek was looking at him knowingly, a hint of a smile touching his lips. "Are you trying to suggest what I think you are, kid?"

No point in being subtle now. "Probably." He smiled back at his friend. "It makes sense. My team and I will deal with the mutant families and we'll leave the other families to you for the moment. Once we've spoken with them, we can get together and do an exchange of information. We'll share what we know, you share what you know. We're all after the same thing here, Morgan. We all want these kids safe."

"Hotch won't like it." JJ pointed out quietly.

A small pang hit Spencer at hearing that. Things between him and Aaron still hadn't improved. He felt Tanya lean in towards him a little, their arms brushing together, and he appreciated the small supportive touch. It helped him to keep his voice calm and controlled so that none of his inner ache showed through. "He may not like it, but I would hope he's practical enough to accept help when it's needed. If necessary, I can send Tanya so that he doesn't have to deal with me being there. But however we have to do this, you both know it's the smart thing to do. You need the information from families and you need the information that we might gather from the local mutant community; we need the information the cops won't want to give us once they discover who exactly it is we're working for. And you both know that you can trust me with whatever information you're capable of providing. Besides which, if we happen to discover along the way any clues about the Unsub, you know I'll pass it along to you. It's not our job to arrest Unsubs. We're here to profile and consult, nothing more." _Like hell we are_. If this was what he worried it might be, no one would be catching the Unsub, but he and his team had the best chance at stopping them.

Once more JJ and Derek exchanged looks. And again, Spencer recognized what was in the look without them having a say a word. He knew he'd won. They only confirmed it when they turned back towards him and Derek nodded. "Okay, kid. I don't know how Hotch will take it, but I know Rossi would be all for it, so I'll let him know and he can be the one to deal with Hotch. You got your cell on you?"

"Absolutely."

"Then I'll give you a call tomorrow afternoon, to give you time to do what you need. If you guys find out anything, don't hesitate to call me, okay?"

Spencer smiled broadly at him. "Deal."

* * *

There were two others who came to check out the dump site as well. These two, however, waited for the cops to finally clear the area before they came in. Only when they were sure it was safe and clear did they make their way over there. Remy and Logan strolled up together, eyes scanning the area as they got close. Ever since first investigating the missing girl from Emma's school, the two men had been working hard on trying to follow the trail of the kidnappers. It felt like they'd be chasing down dead leads for weeks now. Two weeks, Natalie had been gone. Two weeks with nothing concrete to lead them to her. Just whispers and rumors of a group that they had no name for, but who seemed to have been making their way around the country and taking mutants as they went. The latest bit of intel that Remy's contacts had given him had suggested that the group was in Oregon now.

When Remy took the information to Scott, the field leader had agreed to send the two out and had even flown them out and dropped them off himself. From there, the two were on their own. Too many people around asking questions could spook this group they were after. So, with promises to report what they found—_if _they found anything at all—they started where Remy's contact had suggested, in Portland, and worked their way from there. They'd just ended up in Eugene this morning in just enough time to hear about the newest body that had been dumped. They'd had to wait until it was night before the scene was cleared enough for them to show up. Cops had left only fifteen minutes ago and all the gawkers had finally left to. In the cover of night, the two X-Men finally got the chance to walk the scene.

A benefit of having worked together before and of knowing one another well was that they knew each other's skills and how to work with those without even consulting each other. They also knew how to move without getting in the other's way.

Logan moved around the edges of the scene, checking things out there and slowly working his way in, while Remy started at the very center, looking around for the small details there, the little things that might be out of place. They'd barely begun at all when Logan jerked to a stop at the edge near the curb. He went completely still and took a few, deep sniffs. A low rumble from deep in his chest drew Remy's eyes. "What is it?" Remy asked him.

Another sniff and Logan's upper lip curled up in a disgusted sneer. "I smell a feline."

A feline? Remy's eyebrows shot up. "M. Tooth?"

"No." Logan's eyes sharpened and flashed briefly, the name alone enough to bring a momentary snarl to his lips. He pushed down the instinctive reaction to his arch nemesis and focused on what was around him. "No, it aint him. I know his stench anywhere. This aint like that. It don't reek like his does. It's…." He paused, obviously searching for a word to describe the scent. Finally he shrugged one shoulder and settled on "…cleaner. It aint crazy."

"Den it definitely aint Tooth. Dat _homme_ is batshit crazy."

"Amen to that, Gumbo."

Remy strolled around the edge of the scene, unconsciously rubbing at his arms when he got a little too close. There was a chill to the air that he always associated with violent deaths. To distract himself from it, he kept talking as he moved. "Maybe it's dat other team dat we was hearing bout. M' contact said dat deir leader's a feline. Stalker, dey called him."

"If it is, it must mean we're on the right track. Everything we've heard about the group says they go after trafficking rings."

In all their searching for information, they'd come across mention of this team more than once, though most knew absolutely nothing about them. Or, if they did know, they weren't talking. One of Remy's friends who worked a shelter over in Nebraska had been the one to finally have a little more about them and their leader. He'd reported it to Remy on the phone just a few hours earlier. "_I wouldn't give this information out to just anyone, Remy._" Darryl had told him seriously. _"__I've seen the kind of good this group does. They aren't in it for money or for fame or anything like that. They're in there saving the asses of people that everyone else either forgot about or don't care about. They're good people. Their leader, his name's Stalker, and he's a feline. Hair, ear, tail, claws, the whole shebang. Real nice guy, real good with the ones they bring in._" He'd paused then and blew out a breath._ "__Hell, they're half the reason the underground is running the way it is. He and his people help set up bases and shit here and there through the country and help people connect to other places. They've built most of our run lines for us, basically, so we can get mutants out fast if we need. If you're working some trafficking shit, you're bound to run into em. They've been getting a lot more active the past, oh, six months, from what I hear. Not hiding as much._"

The group sounded too good to be true and that alone was enough to make Remy suspicious. Still, he trusted Darryl's information and he trusted his assessment of people. The man knew how to read people. If he said this Stalker was a good guy, then Remy was going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

One last look around the scene had Remy huffing out a breath. Too much had happened here for them to find any real clues. Too many people had been over the scene already; most of the evidence was gone. He looked over at Logan, whose expression clearly said he was thinking the same thing, and they shared a look that conveyed their disgust over it. Well, they'd known it would be a long shot. "Let's go check out one of de places where dat other girl disappeared. Might be dere's somet'ing dere dese cops aint destroyed yet." The scorn that he put on the word 'cops' left no doubt as to his opinion of them.

The two set out to their next destination. Through another contact, they'd found out where the latest missing girl had been last spotted at.

They'd just pulled into the parking lot near the local library and were climbing from their car when Logan's head shot up. He took a sniff, then another one, and Remy braced himself, one hand drifting down towards his pocket. Logan looked around, sniffing again and taking a few steps forward. "The cat's here." He told Remy lowly, eyes scanning around him. Remy started scanning too. A cat person shouldn't be that hard to spot in the thin crowds here. But the only people he saw were some sitting on a bench, a few lying on a blanket in the grass, two girls walking down the sidewalk chattering away, and a man and woman at the coffee vendor on the corner. No cats in sight. "Are y' sure, _mon ami_?"

The low, annoyed snarl was answer enough. Remy held his hands up peacefully and rolled his eyes safely behind his sunglasses. "Okay, okay. Y' aint gotta be so testy. It's jus' dat dere aint exactly no cats lounging round here, least so far as I can see. _Mais _what does dis Cajun know, hehn? Maybe he's up hiding in dem trees over dere."

The sarcasm just rolled right off of Logan. He took another sniff and his eyes zeroed in on something, His hand came out and he thumped the back of it against Remy's chest, knocking Remy back a step, and then pointed over to the couple getting coffee. "Or maybe he's hidin' in plain sight and gettin' himself a cup of coffee."

Remy looked over at the guy and his eyebrows shot almost up to his hairline. "_Him_?" This guy? _This_ was the guy that they thought might be Stalker? No way. Absolutely no way. Aside from the fact that he was very much human looking, and Stalker was said to look like a human cat, this kid didn't look like he could be the deadly, tough guy they'd heard about. Even before they'd learned Stalker's name, they'd heard he had a reputation for being soft with those he helped, and dangerous to those who crossed him. This guy looked like some college professor! Slacks, button up shirt, and a _cardigan_, for Christ's sake! He was skinny, lanky really, with long limbs that he appeared to not be all that comfortable with. He tripped a bit when he and the woman turned away from the vendor and only her quick catch of his arm kept him from hitting the ground. "Dere's no way in hell dat Stalker. Look at him, Logan!"

"My nose don't lie." Logan growled. He, too, was watching the two move.

It just didn't seem possible. "He aint even feline! Look at him. He's just a regular looking _homme._"

"Use that head of yours for something other than looking pretty, Cajun. What's to say the kid can't transform or something like that? Not everyone's stuck as an animal like Blue is."

He had a point. Maybe the guy could change shapes. Still…Remy tipped his head and leaned against the car to better watch the man move. He idly pulled out a cigarette and lit it while observing. Not that it was difficult to watch him .All things aside, he was an attractive looking fellow. Remy watched the man wave his hands, including the one that held his coffee, his whole face seeming to light up as he talked away to the gorgeous woman walking beside him, making him even better looking. The guy had a great smile. Remy pushed back those thoughts and made himself get back on track. So this guy was their feline? Logan's transformation theory was the only one that made any sense. There was nothing particularly feline looking about the guy as he was. Good looking, yes. Feline looking, no. "If he's Stalker, what do y' t'ink we should do?" Remy asked.

The two men stayed quiet for a moment longer, just watching as the two walked over to a car parked by the far curb. It wasn't until they were getting inside that Logan answered. "Let's let em go."

"Y' sure?"

"We'll keep an eye out. But we got work to do here, Gumbo. Let's focus on that first."

* * *

After a quick tour of the last known locations for the missing kids, Spencer and Tanya started to make their way to their client's house in the rental car they'd picked up from the airport. They discussed what they'd found so far on their drive over. Sadly, what they'd found had turned out to be a whole lot of _nothing_. Spencer hadn't expected to find much. Whoever had planned all of this out, they'd done a very good job and they'd been very meticulous. That was one thing that Spencer was sure of. "These were well planned out." He said to Tanya.

She sighed and nodded, pausing at the corner before taking her turn. "Whoever took these kids knows what they're doing. All of the kids went from places where they'd been seen before to somehow magically disappearing."

"It means the Unsub knows enough to pick places where they have as much cover as possible. They had to plan this out carefully; they weren't spur of the moment kidnappings." Whoever had done this had done well. There was nothing to truly show that these kids had been kidnapped. Including their client's daughter, there were four currently missing kids, and only two of them were being treated as missing. It didn't escape Spencer's notice that it was the two mutants who were suspected of being runaways. He didn't know yet, but he imagined that the three bodies that had been found recently would all be kids who looked like they'd just vanished as well. They'd need to look into that. Maybe Kasey could find that out. Or, maybe Derek would be able to tell him.

Spencer was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt the car slow down. Tanya was pulling up to someone's house and parking alongside the curb. They'd just parked when the front door was flung open and a man stood there, staring out at them. The frantic look to him left no doubt as to who he was. No one else would be that panicked right now except for the girl's father. Spencer bit his lip and wished he had something positive to give the man. "I hate this part of the job." He murmured lowly. "It's the one part I could honestly live without."

"Does it ever get any easier?" Tanya asked.

A soft sigh slid from Spencer. "No. It never does. And it never should, either. You should always feel for them. Once you stop, that's when you know there's something wrong." With that little bit of sage advice, he unbuckled himself and climbed out of the car.

They'd only made it halfway up the walk before the man reached them. Tanya put on her kindest smile and she met the man with her hand extended. "Mr. Loren, hello. I'm Tanya, we spoke on the phone before, and this here is Dr. Reid."

The man didn't even bother with such pleasantries. His eyes darted back and forth between them and his distress was practically pouring off of him. "I saw on the news that they found a body downtown. Is it my Tessie?" he demanded.

Shit! "No, sir. No, it wasn't." Spencer reassured him quickly. Inside, he cursed himself. How could he have not thought of that? He was so used to working at the BAU. On a team, yes, but he hadn't been the one in charge there. He hadn't had to be the one to make the decisions like when to call the family, what to tell them, how to tell them. Aaron had handled assigning those jobs. _You can't just fall back on Aaron anymore. This is on you, now. Like or not, this is your team, and they look to you to lead. _God, that was a terrifying thought. He pushed it back for now and drew himself up just a little straighter. Later he could worry about his new leadership position and the fears that went with it. Right now there were more important things to take care of. "I'm so sorry. I should've had someone call you immediately to let you know."

"Why don't we go inside, Mr. Loren?" Tanya suggested kindly. She stepped up beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. Her tone was gentler, with that kindness to it that she was so good at. It was what made her such a good psychologist. Spencer watched her soothe the man just slightly while leading him back into his own house.

This was one place where their separate skills would come in handy. Tanya was very good at speaking with other people. She was good at asking the right kinds of questions in just the right way to get the answers that they needed. Spencer was good at profiling. Reading rooms, people, things. He wasn't as good at being tactful. There'd been way too many times while working at the Bureau that he'd been speaking with a family a made a statement or asked a question that was either taken the wrong way or that worried the people. Like the time that Derek had been arrested and Spencer and Emily had been speaking with his family at their home. They'd been upset that someone would think Derek could kill someone and had brought up him being a cop, as if that should mean he wouldn't be capable of murder. Spencer hadn't thought before listing the statistics for killers in law enforcement, not realizing that it made it sound like he was accusing Derek. Emily had had to save him in that instance.

Tanya got them all inside the house and had Kevin Loren sitting down in now time. She even went so far as to go into his kitchen for him and bring him back a glass of water. "Here, Mr. Loren." She told him kindly, handing the glass over.

He took it from her with a small look of gratitude. "Thanks. It's…it's been a rough morning." He gave a rough chuckle and shook his head. "Hell, it's been a rough few days. I just want my little girl to come home." Earnest eyes lifted up to Tanya's face. "Ronnie said that you guys would be able to help. Anything you want, anything you need, you've got it. Just bring my girl home."

Spencer remembered that Tanya had introduced this case by saying that the client was a friend of a friend; Ronnie must be their mutual friend. That wasn't important, though. Spencer brushed the thought aside and stepped up towards the couch. "Actually, sir, if you wouldn't mind I'd like to go and take a look at your daughter's room."

"Of course. It's at the top of the stairs, second door on the right." Kevin said, pointing to the staircase.

"Thank you."

He was halfway up the stairs when he heard Kevin ask "Why does he need to go look at her room? Will that help him find her?"

"It might. Dr. Reid was a profiler at the BAU." Tanya explained. "They're trained to look at things and see stuff that you and I don't…" The rest of what she said faded away as Spencer rounded the corner and went to the second door on the right.

Even without being told which door, he still would've known. Brightly colored flower decals covered the door as well as elaborately designed wooden letters that spelled out 'Tessie'. Spencer paused at the door and reached down into his bag for the package of gloves he'd stuffed in there earlier. Only when he had a pair out and on his hands did he open up the door. There was no telling what he'd find in here and he wanted to be prepared. Granted, the cops weren't taking her case seriously, but if Spencer found something, longshot though he thought it might be, he wanted to be able to preserve it until he could get it to the station. The police might not take it from him but he knew for a fact that his friends would take seriously anything that he brought them.

The first thing Spencer did was shut the door behind him and then stand there and look around the room.

Her bedroom looked like that of a typical 15 year old girl. There were boy-band posters on the wall and a tack board with a collage of pictures and what looked to be homemade artwork. On the far wall there was a desk with school books piled haphazardly on top, a pad of paper with doodles in the center of her desk, and her laptop was perched open in the center, still on. Still logged on, even. So she trusted her father not to snoop, it would seem. Most teens would lock down their computers to keep their parents from getting into them.

Spencer grimaced to himself as he sat down in front of the computer. It always felt wrong to do this. Profiling a person was invasive enough. Sitting around going through their personal computer or journal or diary always left him with a slightly slimy feeling inside. There wasn't time to indulge it, though. _It's for a good cause_, he reminded himself. Using the skills that Penelope had been drilling in to him from the moment she'd discovered he was really going to start his own business, he checked through Shantessie's email, her recent browsing history, her IM's. There were really no private messages or IM's that he could see. Her Facebook had, stunningly enough, only _five_ friends on it. What fifteen year old had only five friends on their Facebook?

There was nothing else really on her computer. Nothing that he could see, anyways. He moved on for now to look around at other things.

Pens and pencils filled a cup on the left side of the desk, right next to her drawing pad. He flipped the pages and skimmed through the sketches in there. They were all people; faces, hands, full body, profiles. She was actually pretty good.

Clothes were neatly folded in drawers but hung haphazardly in the closet. At the bottom was a shoe rack that was overflowing with shoes of all different types and colors. A few more pairs were strewn across the floor along with some dirty clothes. Despite that little mess and the general disorganized feel to the room, her bed was made perfectly, a quilt folded up to lie at the foot with a black and white battered old teddy bear lying on top of it. A bear that had been well loved over the years, he could see. One ear looked like it had been chewed repeatedly. Most likely she'd had it since she was a baby, then.

On her dresser top he found a weekly planner. It listed a few appointments in there, afterschool clubs, a doctor appointment. Spencer closed his eyes briefly as memories of other day planners, other children, flew into his mind. Children who had been part of clubs, places where parents had thought they would be safe, and yet in some cases it had been the very people set to watch them that had perpetrated the most vile of crimes. He gritted his teeth and shook his head to clear those negative thoughts out. In his mind he chanted the statistics of the case wins the BAU had, all the children they'd recovered, all the criminals put behind bars where they could never harm another child ever again. He thought of all the bastards that he, as Stalker, had caught with the help of his team. Sick people who would never again buy or sell another human being.

Satisfied he'd seen everything he needed, he headed down to rejoin Tanya and Kevin in the lounge.

* * *

_And now we're all caught up with what I've written out so far. Now the updates will slow to the once-a-week that I warned you of at the start. Thank you so much for your reviews so far, my lovelies. They help keep me motivated. An thanks to Hissy and cr8zymommy for putting up with my neurotic self and helping me get this out :) *mwah!* Xoxo!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Just a bit of casework for this chapter, to move things along case-wise_

* * *

They spent only a few minutes longer in the Loren household before Tanya made their excuses and they headed out. They stopped at the door and Spencer looked back at the man who stood there like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Thank you, sir, for letting me have a look around." Spencer told him kindly.

Kevin looked at him with eyes dull with grief. There as only a tiny bit of hope there. "Did it help?"

"Every little bit of information helps, sir."

Those grief stricken eyes stayed with Spencer as he and Tanya made their way back out to the car. They gripped at him, reminding him just why he was doing this. Why he was here. It was for people like him, families like this, that Spencer did what he did. For the people who were left at home, wondering what was happening to their loved one, wondering if they were ever going to come home.

Tanya didn't say anything to him at first, just letting him stay in his own thoughts. It wasn't until they were a little ways away from the house before she finally spoke up. "Are you doing okay, Spencer?"

The question startled him. He'd been expecting her to talk; that question hadn't been what he'd thought she'd say, though. He blinked his eyes a few times to clear them and then turned them her way. "I'm fine." Why wouldn't he be? Profiling at a house wasn't one of the harder parts of the job. If anything, it was one of the easier parts.

She gave him a look as they stopped at a stoplight. It was one of those looks she'd perfected over the years that clearly let him know she wasn't buying what he was telling her and she wasn't going to let it slide, either. "You've been stressed since we started this job, and not in the way I'd expected. I'd understand if you seemed worried about the case, or about being back at work, but it doesn't seem like it's either of those. There's something else that's bothering you. What is it, Spencer? Talk to me."

Working with profilers had made Spencer used to having his actions analyzed. But whereas he'd been able to keep some things from his friends, it wasn't as easy with Tanya. She knew him in ways that others didn't. She knew all parts of him. The boy he'd been, the man he was now, and the cat inside of him. Her knowledge of all those parts of him gave her an understanding that few had. It let her read him when others couldn't. He slanted a discreet look at her through his lashes and tried not to sigh. She wasn't going to let this go. "Sometimes, it's rather frustrating, not being able to keep things from you." He said dryly.

She gave an unladylike snort. "Says the profiler."

"Touché."

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to, Spencer. I just, I care about you and I worry, that's all. I just want to make sure that you're okay."

It was that concern right there that kept him from just brushing her words off. She _was_ concerned, he knew, and she would continue to be so if he didn't talk to her at least a little. She'd wonder and worry and try to figure out what was going on, most likely making it all into something a whole lot more than it really was. It was easier to just open up and talk to her. And maybe there was a part of him that kind of wanted to talk, too. He shifted around in his seat and blew out a soft breath. "I just…I'm nervous." He admitted to her quietly. "I know it may seem odd, but I am."

"Nervous about what?"

"About our work. Everyone looks to me like I have all the answers here, Tanya. I just, I worry I'm not going to be able to live up to those expectations. I'm not cut out to lead anyone. I'm made more for the sidelines. I'm not leader material and I never have been."

One of her hands reached out to him and laid on his thigh, giving it a brief, reassuring squeeze. When she spoke, her voice was lower, gentler. "Spencer, honey, you've been leading us for years and doing a fantastic job. Nothing's changed there. It's just official now."

Spencer snorted and looked off to his side. Yeah, real fantastic job. He kept making mistakes left and right it seemed like. How on earth was that 'fantastic'? He gave a mental shake of his head at the negative thoughts. Sitting here sulking wasn't going to do them any good. It wouldn't help anyone. Right now the focus should be on the job, on these poor kids, not on him and his stupid insecurities. Spencer pulled in a steadying breath and his posture unconsciously shifted as he settled the mantle of leader around his shoulders. "None of this matters right now, anyways. Now isn't the time for this." His tone left no doubt that the subject was closed for now. It was time to get back to business. "Have you heard anything yet from Lilo or Tomas?"

"Nothing yet, no."

"All right. We should call and check in with them, see if they've made any kind of contact with the local shelter." Even as he said the words he was pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. Because of that, he never saw the small smile that Tanya quickly smothered. She kept discreetly glancing at him as they drove down the road. For someone who claimed that he wasn't a leader, he sure slipped into that leader role easily enough. No matter how many times she tried to explain it she could never get him to believe her that he was a natural born leader in the right circumstances. He was an even better leader for his humility. He didn't just assume the role and expect them to follow. He denied the role to the bitter end and yet he led them all so naturally and easily. It was obvious to everyone but him.

A quick phone call to Tomas let him know that the two men had found the local shelter and that they were currently out on the streets, speaking with different street kids to see what might be found. They promised to meet up at the hotel in two hours and Spencer hung the phone up. For a few moments Spencer rode along in silence. His mind was moving, cataloging the information he'd drawn from the house and adding it in to everything else. He ran through everything he saw, not just up in Shantessie's room but in the rest of the house as well. The bedroom had showed no issues, nothing that would make him concerned for her. Nothing to suggest that her home life was a problem. The house had been comfortable and relaxed with a well lived-in feel. Not messy but not spotless. There was clutter here and there, pictures displayed all over with obvious pride. If he had to guess, he'd say it was the home of a very close father and daughter who were very happy together.

His mind ran over the day planner he'd found on Shantessie's desk and he remembered something he'd wanted to do. His fingers quickly dialed Kasey's number. It only took a second before the man's voice came on the line. "_'__Lo, Boss. What can I do for you?_"

"I've got some information I need you to look up for me if you've got the time, Kasey."

A low laugh rumbled over the line. "_My time is yours, Boss. Fire away._"

What was he laughing at? Spencer shook his head and dismissed the thought as unimportant. "I need you to cross reference a few things for me. According to her day planner, Shantessie went to an art club twice a week at the local Y, a book club on Thursdays at the library, and she had some appointment on Fridays at the Lane Community College. I want to know if any of our other victims attended any of those as well. Check both the missing and the deceased children against this. I need to know if there's any sort of crossover between them."

"_Can do. Let me look around and get back to you. Anything else?"_

"No, that's all for now. Thanks, Kasey."

He hung up the phone once more and this time put it back into his pocket. Closing his eyes, Spencer shut out the world around him and drew up the information that he'd already had and what he'd just learned and, with what he had, he started to build his profile. Beside him, Tanya drove, keeping a discreet eye on him as she did.

* * *

This was getting ridiculous. Remy and Logan had set out hours ago, splitting up to hit the streets and talk to different people in different parts of town. Logan was heading over towards Springfield while Remy was taking most parts of Eugene. The plan was that they would speak with the local mutants and see what the word on the street was about all these missing kids lately. Often street kids knew more than what people expected. Cops didn't often speak to street kids for information and they sure weren't going to talk to the mutant kids. Remy had always valued the information that could be gained from talking to just the right people out on the streets.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one.

Every person that Remy came across seemed to either not want to speak to him, or had already spoken to someone else and were therefore suspicious about a new guy coming in and asking questions. Remy was having to use his charm almost constantly just to relax people enough to get them to tell him anything. Even then, what he was getting wasn't much. They were already spooked by all the missing kids and the whispers spreading around town about no mutant being safe right now.

Hopefully Logan was having more luck. Sometimes his straight forward claws-in-your-face method got better results than any charm that Remy could throw out.

The more people that he spoke to, the more that Remy was coming to the realization that speaking with this Stalker and his team might be the only way to get anything accomplished here. This crew seemed on top of the ball already and they were just once step ahead and Remy and Logan this entire time. Wouldn't it make more sense to join forces? He should've gone after them earlier when they'd seen the two down by the library. But Logan wasn't really that big of a team player and he wasn't trusting of outsiders. Remy snickered to himself at that thought. Logan didn't play well with others, as Scott was fond of saying. The feral man had an innate distrust of, well, pretty much everyone.

But, while Remy was known for working alone, he was also practical enough to utilize a resource that might help him accomplish the job. Logan was just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. If they didn't find out anything tonight then Remy was going to find a way to reach out to Stalker. This involved other people, _children_, and there was no way Remy was going to let pride get in the way of helping them. Not his and not Logan's.

* * *

Remy wasn't the only one to be told about others. One of the people that Lilo had spoken with on the streets and had given his number to had called to warn him that there were others out on the streets asking questions quite a lot like theirs. As soon as the call was done, Lilo hurried down to Spencer's room and knocked. It only took a moment before the door opened to reveal not Spencer, but Tanya. It made no difference. "We might have a problem." Lilo said without preamble.

She opened the door wider and gestured him quickly inside. "What's going on?"

Lilo saw that Tomas was already here as well, over at the single table in the room with Spencer, the two of them standing over a map. They both looked up at Lilo's entrance and watched him as he came in. Tomas was braced, the word 'problem' putting him on alert. He discreetly shifted himself just a step closer to Spencer. Not to seek comfort, but to be close in case of trouble. Spencer didn't even seem to notice it. The man was completely oblivious when it came to his own safety. "What is it, Lilo?" Spencer asked.

"I just got a call from one of the kids that I spoke with out on the street. They said there's some guys walking around asking questions an awful lot like ours."

"Did they have any idea who they might be?" Tanya asked. She'd shut the door behind Lilo when he came in and now stood at his side with concern on her face.

Here was where things were going to start to get interesting. "Yeah." Lilo looked around and tried not to let his worry show to much. "He said the one gave his name as Gambit and the other one is definitely Wolverine. There's X-Men here, Boss."

"Oh no." Tanya breathed out.

Most people might not get upset at the idea of the X-Men being on a case. Most mutants looked at the X-men as saviors, people who helped, not someone to worry about. But most people didn't have the worries that this group did. They had quite a few reasons for avoiding the X-Men. Some were big and some were small. Some were as simple as their values in certain things differing. Whereas the X-Men fought for mutants as a whole, Spencer and their group—The Family, as they jokingly called themselves—fought for individuals. But one of the biggest reasons that they avoided the X-men at all costs was that not all in the Family had a good history with them. There were a few that had even been hunted slightly by them at one point or another. One member had even fought directly against them. She hadn't had a choice, really, but that didn't change the facts. And then there was Sean. The things he'd done before he came to the Family, well, they weren't often spoke of, but it was well known that he had a dangerous past and he'd clearly stated that he'd crossed paths with the X-Men before and they weren't exactly his friends.

Spencer held a hand out in a peaceful, placating gesture. "Calm down, guys. It's not necessarily a bad thing that they're here. This doesn't have to be trouble. "

"I've met this Wolverine before." Tomas spoke up in that quiet, steady voice of his. He held still as all eyes turned towards him. "It was years ago, not to long before I joined up with you, Pen. I was discovered as a mutant one night and a group of people decided that chasing me away wasn't a good enough response. I was getting my ass kicked by a group when he stepped in and helped out. He got them to back off and got me out of there. He's a good person."

"They were asking questions about this case?" Tanya asked.

Lilo nodded at her. "That's what the kid said." He looked over to Spencer, who looked half lost in thought. "Do you think they're actually working a trafficking case for once? This usually isn't their kind of thing. They work on a grander scale."

"Maybe our case is bigger than we thought." Tomas pointed out.

That was a disturbing thought. If the group here was big enough to draw in the attention of the X-Men, they had to be a big group indeed, and one that was probably involved in quite a few bad things. The X-Men didn't usually go after individual trafficking groups. They tended to go for bigger enemies. Ones more bent on world domination or racial purification. Not that there was anything wrong with that. Lilo had no personal issues with the X-Men or their cause. They just fought on a grander scale than he wanted to. He was happy with working with Spencer and fighting for the people no one else would fight for. It was a cause that he could believe in. One that was personal and important to him.

Running a hand through his shaggy hair, Spencer took a deep breath and they could all see as he came to some sort of decision. Sure enough, he looked up at them with a calm and steady gaze. "Them being here doesn't change anything. We keep an extra ear out, maybe move a little more cautiously, but it doesn't stop what we're doing. It doesn't matter if they are working the same case as us. In the end, what matters is finding Shantessie and the other kids that have been taken. That's our goal. That's what we'll focus on. The rest," He paused and gave a halfhearted shrug. "It's not important. Just focus on doing our job."

For someone who tried to oft deny his role as 'Boss', he sure had the capability to take command of a situation. Lilo, Tomas and Tanya all nodded, accepting his words. He was right. Their job was what was important, finding these kids was important. Worrying about the X-Men was not. Even if the team was working the same case as them it didn't matter. It didn't stop them from doing their job. As Spencer said, it didn't change anything.

Spencer looked around the room at them and seemed to take in all their expressions with just a quick glance. Whatever he saw prompted him to say "Why don't we all head to bed?" He saw Tanya about to protest and shook his head at her. "There's nothing more that can be done tonight. All we'd be doing is going over the same nonexistent information and stressing ourselves out. Why don't we get some sleep and get a fresh start in the morning?"

Sleep sounded good but Lilo wasn't all that fond of going down to his room and leaving Spencer down here unguarded. If this group was big enough or dangerous enough that they'd drawn the attention of the X-Men, their threat level had just gone up. Leaving Spencer here alone and unprotected was out of the question. They'd learned the hard way that people might come after Spencer. This latest incident, the one that had sparked Spencer leaving the Bureau, was just one in a series of many moments that he'd been targeted. People tried to stop Stalker all the time. They'd always relaxed before when Spencer went back home and was just Spencer because they'd been confident that no one would ever figure out that Spencer and Stalker were the same. They now knew better. But Spencer wouldn't take to the idea of a bodyguard in his room with him. Lilo knew that without even having to ask. If they suggested it, the man would just insist that he'd be fine and he'd send them on their way.

So he said nothing about it as they bid one another good night. But once they were all outside the room and Spencer's door was shut, he exchanged a look with Tomas, the brother of his heart. One look and he knew the man was having the same thoughts. "I'll take first shift." Tomas said softly.

"Fine. Wake me for second shift." Lilo said.

Tanya didn't protest their arrangement. She just stepped up to them and gave each man a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Call for me if anything happens." She warned them. Then she went to the room next door and slipped inside. Lilo watched to make sure she was inside and then he looked one last time to Tomas, who had taken up stance at a spot between Spencer and Tanya's doors, before heading down to his own room to get some sleep before it became time for his shift.


	6. Chapter 6

_Credit goes to Hissy for her helpful ideas here, and to cr8zymommy who actually wrote a paragraph or two in here. :) _

* * *

As was common while working a case, Spencer found himself up with the sun, his mind too full of information to sleep. He indulged himself in a quick, warm shower to ease his muscles, and then he made use of the cheap coffee pot that was in the room. Then, because he was alone, he did something to help himself relax a little—he shifted. It felt wonderful to switch to his cat form and let himself stretch out. There were days that he couldn't help but think that this was the form he was meant to be in. It felt more comfortable in some ways. Though, as he looked down at the special shorts he had to pull on, he had to snicker to himself. It was comfortable like this, yes, but it was hell on clothes. These were shorts that had been converted so that there was a slit in the back for his tail to slide through. Tanya had stitched them for him, insisting that there was no reason he should have to be uncomfortable and curl his tail out the top of his pants.

Soon the good humor faded away as Spencer's mind switched fully over to work mode. He'd spent the evening yesterday compiling files on each of their missing kids, focusing mainly on the obviously mutant ones. Now, this morning, was time to work more on the geographical profile. That really worked to help set him in the mindset. It was a familiar, normal thing to do, one that he'd done countless times before. It helped him to start thinking more like a profiler.

By the time he finished it, no one had come to his door yet, and he knew the first thing his friends would do would be to check in with him when they woke up. He decided to call and check in with Kasey while he waited. He'd sent off massive amounts of information to the man last night and had asked him to look up other things. He'd worried that maybe he was giving the man too much, but Kasey had seemed fine with it. Then again that wasn't always a good indicator. Kasey would work his backside off for Spencer and not complain. That scared him, sometimes, and made him all the more grateful for Tanya and McKenna, who never worried about arguing with him or telling him that he needed to back off and relax for a while. They both also helped him watch the others to make sure that no one was accidentally pushed too hard.

Spencer refilled his coffee cup and took it over to the bed with him. After setting it down on the nightstand, he sprawled himself out, rucking up the blankets just enough to make them comfortable. Then he sort of, flopped, dropping down and sighing into the mattress. One of his back legs hung off the edge of the bed and his tail twitched lazily in the air. Comfortable, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number for Kasey. Two rings and Kasey's voice came on the line. "_Morning, Boss. Calling with good news?_"

"Not yet." Wouldn't that be nice? Wishful thinking, though, and that would get him nowhere. Instead of focusing on wishes, he focused on something more practical. "Morning to you too, Kasey. Please tell me you haven't been there all night long."

"_I wasn't, don't worry. Kenna came in about one and sent me home._" He gave a growling chuckle. "_I know better than to ignore her when she's in mother hen mode._"

That was enough to bring a smile to Spencer's face. McKenna was an absolutely sweet woman with a heart of gold who was quiet and came off as slightly reserved, yet she could turn quite stern in making sure her little family was taking care of itself. She was a caretaker through and through and he should've remembered that she would be there to make sure everyone took care of themselves. "She has your best interests at heart. Besides, she was right to send you home. I don't want you pushing yourself too hard at this, Kasey. If I'm giving you too much work you need to speak up and tell me."

"_It wasn't too much. I handled it fine, Boss. A lot of it was just setting things up to run and working with getting the new programs up and running to do it all with. I've got those running in the background now. They haven't brought any results yet, but as soon as they do I'll get back to you._"

"Have you finished inputting all of our information onto your private server?"

"_I love how you act like you know what that means, Boss_." Kasey teased him. "_Yeah, I have. It's all there. What do you need_?"

"Some of what I'm seeing seems familiar to me. I just, something in all this tells me that this group we're hunting here might be connected to one we're already working against. Can you check what we've got against that and see if you can find any connections or similarities?"

"_Sure thing, Boss. I've got a program I've been working on that's perfect for this. Give me a little bit to get it going and I'll get back to you as soon as I know anything_."

"Thanks, Kasey."

Spencer was just hanging up his phone when he heard the knock outside his door. He gracefully twisted himself and dropped down to the ground. On silent feet he padded over to the door. Even before he opened it, he knew who he'd find. Spencer opened the door and made sure to stay back, just in case anyone came passing by. He didn't need to be seen in this form. Lilo didn't bat an eye at it. More than once he'd told Spencer that he seemed more like himself when he was like this. "Come on in." Spencer said, gesturing with one hand.

He shut the door behind Lilo once the man was inside. "Would you like any coffee?"

"Hotel coffee?"

Lilo pulled a face that had Spencer chuckling. "Yeah, yeah, not the best, I know." Spencer said while making his way back over towards the nightstand where his cup still sat. "Better than nothing, though."

Still, Lilo eyed the cup with distaste. "There's a coffee shop down the road. A Starbucks."

"And I assure you that I will be stopping by there later on." Spencer said agreeably. He folded himself down onto the bed so that he was sitting cross legged. He took a sip off the exceptionally bad coffee that he still held and he smiled up at Lilo. "Until then, I'll take this abysmal excuse for coffee. By the third cup, you can barely taste it, anyways."

"Third cup? You've been up that long?"

He shrugged one shoulder like it was no big deal. His eyes, however, drifted to the table where his geographical profile was sitting. "I needed to work." He said by way of explanation.

The nickname made Spencer want to smile. He always appreciated it when any of them put in any effort to try and use a name for him instead of 'Boss'. Granted, the few of them that said 'Pen' said it with a certain tone that made it sound almost the same as 'Boss', but it was the effort that mattered to him. It was also a good sign that Lilo was talking to him seriously, as a friend, honestly and truly concerned for him. Spencer couldn't just blow that off. Not when he knew it was born of honest caring. "It's nothing serious, Lee." He said, using his own nickname for the man. "It's just the case. I know I'm missing something and it feels like it's big. I'm missing something that I know is just right in front of me."

"Okay, why don't you talk it out?" Lilo suggested. He shifted and got a little more comfortable on the bed, obviously settling in. "Lay it out for me. Maybe together we'll see what it is that you feel is missing."

Okay, he could do that. Talking out a case was easy enough. It was something he'd done countless times on the team. They'd always talked the cases out. Maybe Lilo was right and that was what he needed. Sometimes back at the BAU that had been how Spencer had come up with some of his ideas; talking it out with the team or listening to them debate things. Just the bouncing of ideas was sometimes enough to trigger his own brain into connecting those last few little dots. "Okay. Well, looking at the case as a whole, not just our client's daughter, we've got four missing kids between the ages of fourteen and seventeen." Spencer started out, pulling up all the information in his mind. "There's fifteen year old Shantessie, seventeen year old Tyson Omar, fourteen year old Gawain McNally, and seventeen year old Alyssa Calderon."

"Two of which we know positively are mutants." Lilo added in. "Shantessie and her emotion projection and Tyson with his black lips and fangs, though we don't know what his powers were exactly."

Spencer tapped a finger against his cup, one claw extended. "We're going to speak with their families today. We'll have to find a way to delicately ask the other parents if their child is a mutant."

"Have fun with that one. No one likes that question." Lilo teased. He leaned to the side and rested his weight on one hand. "Okay, so we've got four missing kids, two of which are mutants. What else?"

"Well, there were two bodies showing obvious signs of torture. But there was a new body dumped yesterday that I think it's safe to assume is part of our case, especially considering the BAU was there. Kasey's digging into that. So far, he hasn't found a lot, but he has found where they were last seen at and I've added those locations to the others on the map." Almost absently, Spencer pushed up off the bed, going over towards his map. He stopped beside it and traced a claw over some of the lines there, careful to keep the sharp tip from cutting the paper. "All of the kids have been taken on their way home from someplace. All of them seemed to just vanish without any trace left behind."

"So whoever's taking them knows what they're doing. The y watch them well enough to know how to catch them when they're alone and in places where no one sees anything."

"They're organized. Whoever this is, they're very organized. They've planned it all perfectly." Spencer kept looking down at the map, that sense of something missing still tugging at him, getting worse the longer he stood here and looked down at all those lines. He kept speaking without really thinking about his words. "We've seen cases somewhat like this before, but not quite like this. This all fits the pattern perfectly of a trafficking suppliers picking up their 'merchandise'. But we had no word of a group coming this way and no rumors in town so far of a group that might be operating here. Oregon's been pretty quiet for a while now. This isn't some small time group, either."

There was the sound of movement and then he heard Lilo walk towards him. The man stopped at his side, looking down at the map with him. "No, it's not. The area they're operating in is too large for that. I'd say there's two teams where, working together. Two of our missing and our latest body came from here in Eugene," He tapped a finger down on the two marks in Eugene. "Another from Junction City" another tap to a neighboring city. "The other missing and one of the dead victims came from Springfield." Another tap. "And the last victim came from over here, in Coburg."

"They're separated enough that no one's made the connections yet. No one's linked all of them together." Spencer pointed out. He brushed some of his hair back from his face and his tail gave an agitated twitch behind him. "Even if they did, they're going to be hunting for one specific Unsub, not a group. They'd never suspect mutant traffickers. They'll be looking for a serial killer…" And just like that, the light went off for Spencer and he knew what he'd been doing wrong, what had been bugging him so damn badly about this. He closed his eyes and groaned, the sound coming out like a low rumble from his chest. "I'm such an _imbecile_."

"What is it? What've you figured out?"

"I can't believe this. I'm so _stupid_!" Spencer paced away from the tale, his agitation making him move, unable to keep still. "I've been looking at this whole thing wrong. God!" He flung his hands up in the air and spun back towards Lilo again. "We've been trying to track the kidnappings, trying to track the victims, when we should be trying to profile the _group_. There are no clues with the kids right now. This isn't an Unsub that's somehow connected to them or that's been watching them. This is a group, a trafficking group, and a damn good one. We need to profile the group we're up against. Figure out who they are, how many teams they have, and most importantly, _where they're taking the kids._"

The minute Spencer said those words, Lilo seemed to straighten up, his mind catching on to where Spencer was going with this. "They're still in town. Oh, man, you're right, Boss. We've been stupid. If they're still in town it means they have to be storing the kids somewhere."

"_That's_ what we need to focus on finding." Spencer agreed. "Groups like this never stay in the same area too long. It's too dangerous."

"The longest I've ever seen a group stay in one area is two weeks."

"Exactly. And we're almost to that mark if my estimates are right. We've probably got a few days, at most, before they move on."

That was a sobering thought. Silence fell over the hotel room as the two men processed that. It was broken when Spencer's phone vibrated on the table. He schooled it up and saw that he had a text from Derek. He opened it and his eyebrows shot up with surprise. _'__Cleared it with the station and Hotch – come down an see latest victim in morgue. She's a mutant – Morgan.'_ Well, that was interesting. The body yesterday was a mutant? "It's Morgan. He says the victim found yesterday was a mutant." That changed a few things and gave them a little more to add. Spencer started fitting that information in with everything else and his brain started to race over what they needed to get done today. Some things were going to have to be rearranged for him to go down to the station. "All right, Lilo, I want you to get Tomas and Tanya and get started on speaking with the other families. We still need to know if any of the other kids were mutants. I'm going to go down to the station and take a look at the body. Maybe I'll find something that'll give me some clue as to who took them, some signature we can recognize. We can all meet up here afterwards and compare information and see if we can profile this group instead of the victims."

"Why don't Tomas or I come with you, Boss?"

The forced casualness of that had Spencer wanting to smile despite the topic of conversation. He knew that the others thought he didn't quite notice all their efforts to protect him; he did, he just chose not to comment on it. It was easier to let them have their way on it. It eased their minds. If all it took to make them feel better was that he took someone to the station with him, well, it wasn't a hardship. "That's fine. Whichever one of you wants to come, you're more than welcome, but they might not let you into the morgue with me."

Immediately he saw some of the tension fade from Lilo's shoulders. "Tomas can go with Tanya." He said, smiling. The quiet little courtship between Tanya and Tomas was something that no one really spoke about but that they all enjoyed watching evolve. "I'll come with you. I don't mind having to wait around if they won't let me in."

They both knew that the reason that Lilo was coming was that he was the one with an offensive power. Tomas and Lilo could both be devastating fighters, but Lilo had the added protection of powers and the ink he carried around on his arms. Spencer nodded his agreement. "That's fine." Moving back to the table, he started gathering up all the information he'd put together on the mutant victims so far. "If I handle waking the others, would you mind seeing if the front desk has a copier we can borrow? I need to make copies of this for Morgan and I don't feel like running it all out by hand."

"Of course." Lilo took the stacks from him, quickly making one organized stack in his arms. "Just one copy?"

"Please."

"I'll be back in a bit."

Even as the door was shutting, Spencer was dialing Tanya's number on his cell phone. He closed his eyes and gave a mental flick at that internal switch. Human once more, he strolled over to his duffle bag on the dresser. The phone stopped ringing and a sleep voice greeted him. "_Hello?_"

"Tanya, it's Spencer. Listen, there's been a change of plans…"

* * *

Forty minutes later, with only a brief stop for Starbucks, Spencer and Lilo were walking into the Eugene Police Station. Lilo had dressed at his most professional; for him, that meant dark jeans and a long sleeved dark blue shirt over which he wore a black leather vest. His black hair, the single strip that he had atop his head, was in a French braid that ended at his neck. To Spencer, the man looked very cleaned up and far more professional than normal. He looked at his friend as they stepped into the police station and he saw the humor lurking in his eyes, the slight twitch to his lip that showed a hidden smile.

Those at the station, however, saw something else entirely and they watched him warily. They only saw the mask, the hardness to his features and the coolness in his eyes. They saw the build and movements of a fighter. They saw the way that he stood beside Spencer and back one step, eyes scanning the room, body very clearly on alert, and they pegged him quickly as _Bodyguard_. The group of profilers watching their entrance from the conference room all took note of it as well. Most understood. Only two seemed to find it strange. Aaron, and the newest member of the team, the one brought in to replace Spencer—Justin Strom. The thirty seven year old man looked out and raised his eyebrows at what he saw. "That's the man you're bringing in?"

"That's Dr. Reid." Dave supplied, casting a look over at his teammate.

"Why's he brought a bodyguard with him?"

"He's not a bodyguard, he's a coworker." Emily interjected coolly. She snuck a look at Aaron, who was watching the scene with the same stone expression that he got whenever there was mention of Spencer. Inside, she sighed, wishing that things could be different.

Completely unaware of the conversation going on in the conference room, Spencer moved his way through the main bullpen, narrowly avoiding hitting someone's desk. A hand on his arm pulled him back just in time and he flashed a grateful grin to Lilo. "Thanks."

The humor in Lilo's eyes grew. "It never fails to amaze me just how uncoordinated you are when you're this way." He teased. The both of them knew that 'this way' meant his human form. In feline form, Stalker was all grace and coordination.

Spencer's lips curved upwards and a splash of color touched his cheeks. "Another of life's mysteries. Talk to Lillian one time; she has countless theories."

The humor helped to settle Spencer a little inside. The whole ride here he'd been trying to steel himself for a confrontation with Aaron, knowing full well that he wasn't going to be able to avoid the man. He was hoping that the fact that they were in a police station and on a case might keep the man from giving any disparaging remarks. Still, there was no telling. Prejudice could trigger some horrible things in the people who were otherwise nice and kind. For the first time Spencer thought that maybe he should've insisted that he come unaccompanied to the station. If Aaron _did_ say something rude there was every chance that Lilo was say something back. Those two getting into an argument was the very last thing that Spencer needed.

The door to the conference room opened and Dave came strolling out with a bright grin on his face. He made straight for Spencer and didn't even hesitate to pull him in for a hug and a quick kiss on either cheek. "You're looking good, kiddo."

"You too, Rossi." Spencer's said with a smile and a blush.

Dave turned to Lilo next and held out a hand, having met the man a few times since Spencer had left the Bureau. "Hello, Lilo. It's good to see you, too."

"Always good to see you, David." Lilo returned.

Formalities out of the way, Dave gestured with one hand towards the right of the room. "Why don't we jump right into this? We'll go ahead and go down there and take a look at things and then Morgan said you might have some information for us about the victims that're mutants?"

"I've got it here." Lilo held up the folders in his hand that held the copies he'd made.

"Perfect. We haven't been able to find out a whole lot about them."

The trio ignored all the eyes that were on them as they made their way out of the bullpen. Spencer was far too used to the stares to really register them. It was just the same as any time that the BAU team had gone to a station and been treated with suspicion. Putting up with that had really helped to prepare him for it now. Lilo took note of it all but none of it was any cause for concern, nor carried any real threat to it.

To Spencer's surprise, when they got to the morgue, Dave didn't follow them inside. Even more of a surprise, he was allowing Lilo in. "You two go ahead. Do what you need to without me there to influence what you see or find. I'll keep out here and make sure no one comes in to disturb you." Dave said. That last remark gave Spencer a bit more understanding. In that statement, he read the words that weren't said, the subtle warning that not everyone here at the station was pleased that they were being allowed to do this. Spencer gave him a small nod of both understanding and appreciation.

It had been a while since Spencer had stepped into a morgue. Yet he went in easily, without an ounce of hesitation. Lilo watched as the slightly nervous friend faded away and the doctor inside stepped forward. For, in here, Spencer was neither agent nor boss; he was a doctor, a scientist. It was his way of coping with what he saw and what he was forced to handle inside these rooms. It distanced him just enough from what he saw that he could get through it and do what he had to. Still, watching that transformation was fascinating. Lilo stood off to the side and just observed as Spencer spoke with the attendant in the room. Soon enough, one of the drawers was opened against the far wall and the table inside was pulled out. Then, amazingly, the attendant left them alone in there.

As soon as the woman was gone, Spencer turned to look at Lilo. "You don't have to stay in here if you don't want to."

As if he was going to just leave him in here. Lilo rolled his eyes and mentally braced himself before coming up towards the table. "I'll be fine."

"There's no shame in not wanting to see this." Spencer murmured. He looked up briefly at his friend while pulling on a pair of medical gloves. "If you want, you can stand over by the wall or by the door."

"Don't worry about me, Boss. You just do what it is you do."

Spencer watched Lilo's face for a moment longer before he finally gave a casual shrug of the shoulder. So be it. He'd made the offer; that was the best he could do. For now, he needed to do his job. With one last second to brace himself mentally for what he was about to see, he took hold of the edge of the blanket and drew it down.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the two men emerged from the morgue with, frustratingly, no new information. The torture that the young woman had undergone was consistent with what they'd read about for the other bodies that had been dumped. But while it wasn't new, it did fit in with the rest and that meant that it matched the pattern. That at least gave them one other small connection to add to the rest. Every little bit helped in puzzles like this. Every tiny piece was important.

Dave was waiting for them where they'd left him, hanging out in one of the chairs in the hallway. He rose when they came out. "Got everything you need?"

"As much as could be obtained." Spencer said with a sigh.

Grimacing, Dave fell into step beside him, taking the side opposite Lilo. "Yeah. While the marks match the other victims, they don't really give us anything we didn't already know. All the bodies so far have been tortured in a very methodical sort of way. Ritualistic, almost."

"Mm." Spencer made only a soft noise at that. He knew differently; it wasn't ritualistic. But he'd rather try and explain it once. "Are you having any luck with any leads so far?" he asked instead.

But Dave shook his head. "Nothing. We're having a hard time pinning down a profile, and with no one having seen anything, leads are pretty hard to come by. The Unsubs seem to be one step ahead of us this whole time. We've got a new agent on the team, you remember JJ telling you about him?" He paused long enough for Spencer to nod. "He's working on a geographical profile for us but it's slow going. You made it look easier than it is, kid." Dave teased him.

"I've already completed one. If you like, I can look at yours and fill in some blanks." Spencer offered hesitantly. He didn't want to step on any toes here and he wasn't quite sure how far Aaron's tolerance of his presence would extend.

While Spencer had been hesitant to offer, worried about things, Dave didn't hesitate to accept. "Let's go."

When they reached the conference room, the looks that were sent their direction were mixed. From some there are looks of warmth and welcome, not just for Spencer but for Lilo as well. From another, there was a look of curiosity, nothing more. From Aaron...Spencer tried not to shiver underneath the cold mask of his ex-boss. Seeing that look directed his way was just as jarring as it had been the first time he'd seen it there. If he'd been in cat form, his ears would've turned down and his tail would've been drooping at the moment. But he wasn't and so it was quite a bit easier for him to hide how it made him feel. He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin and he used the skills he'd learned from years of being bullied; he pulled on a mask and made sure that nothing of what he truly felt showed on the outside. To show them pain or fear was to let them win. The fact that he had to use that against a man who he had always thought of as a friend, almost a father figure on occasion, was just another cut to an already bleeding heart.

It made it all a little easier to bear when Emily came strolling up with a smile and pulled him into a hug of greeting. "Hey, Reid. You're looking good."

"So everyone keeps saying." Spencer joked, trying to cover up his immediate blush. He shrugged one shoulder and gave her a little half smile when they pulled apart. "You'd think I'd been looking horrible recently or something for all the compliments you all seem to be intent on offering."

"You, look horrible? Never." Emily teased him. Her eyes were twinkling with good humor. She turned to look at Lilo next. "Hey, Lilo. Are those the files you guys brought for us? Morgan said you had information on some of our victims."

"I do." Spencer held out one hand, stopping Lilo from handing over the files. His eyes flicked up towards Aaron, reading the cold look there, and then darted over to Dave, deciding on him as the safer of the senior agents. "I want to say a few things, first."

"If you're withholding information…" Aaron began in that same controlled, icy voice he'd used the last time they'd spoken.

Spencer flinched and quickly shook his head to try and cut that off before it got started. "No, no. I'm not withholding anything, sir." The 'sir' slipped out without thought, a habit born from years of use. "There are just some things I believe you should know before I hand it over. Things that you should know so you can understand what it is you're seeing here."

"Go ahead, Reid. We're listening." Dave encouraged him.

The others nodded their agreement, seating themselves around the table. It didn't go unnoticed that Derek sat in the seat closest to where Spencer stood. That was his way of showing support for his best friend and Spencer appreciated it. He drew strength from that and from Lilo at his side and he looked around the table. "My team and I were hired on by the family of one of the missing victims so that we could consult and assist in the finding of his fifteen year old daughter. In the course of our investigation, we've come across a few things that have me almost positive that this isn't a simple kidnapper, or a serial killer here in Eugene. I'm almost positive this is trafficking."

That definitely got their attention. The atmosphere of the room seemed tense and just a bit sharper. "Trafficking?" JJ said with surprise. "What makes you think that?"

"There are quite a few things that match." Spencer insisted. He took the files that Lilo was already holding out and he laid them down on the table, tapping his finger on the top file. "Victimology, for one. Teenagers are the most common victim pool for traffickers. The fact that we now know for certain that at least _three_ are mutants." Getting in to what he was saying, Spencer started to move, pacing over towards the boards where their map and other evidence was hung. It was a familiar sight for the BAU team to watch as Spencer paced between them, eyes taking it all in, hands gesturing as his voice sped up slightly in his eagerness to get out everything he was saying. "Then there's the way in which it's all been done. The abduction styles, the amount of teens taken, the grouping, it all suggests a strong level of organization. Also, the bodies that've been dumped—the torture on them is commonly seen in slaves that have proved either too willful to break, or too weak to withstand what's done. It's the style, though. What I saw downstairs on Amy…something about the style feels familiar to me. I just, I can't quite place it."

"There are actually people out there that go and buy _mutants_?" Justin asked in surprise. "But…why?"

Lilo looked up sharply and Spencer stopped pacing. He looked over at the blond haired man he didn't recognize, the one that had to be Justin, and his voice and expression cooled a few degrees. "There are quite a few reasons. Some people want a powerful bodyguard, others want a pet, and others still simply want to own something they consider 'exotic'." He cocked his head to the side and looked at the agent curiously. "Human trafficking can't be that strange to you, working at the Bureau."

"Well, sure, I've encountered human trafficking before. But never mutant trafficking. Pardon my analogy, but isn't that a bit like buying a feral dog? They may seem sweet and cute and such, but there's a damn good chance you're going to get bit in the end."

Lilo's mouth dropped open and Spencer froze, staring wide-eyed at Justin. Had he really just said that? Had he just compared buying a mutant to buying a _dog_? Neither one could believe it. They weren't the only ones, either. Derek, Emily and JJ all looked up with instant glares, and even Dave's usually kind face was set in disapproving lines. Temper drew Spencer up and glared sharply at the agent. "I will _not_ pardon your analogy." He snapped in a heated tone his friends had rarely ever heard from him. "It's extremely offensive. You wouldn't compare a human taking by traffickers to a dog, so what makes it okay for you to do so with a mutant?"

Justin held up his hands on either side of himself and quickly apologized. "Woah, woah. I didn't mean any offense, Doctor. I'm not a mutant hater or anything like that. I was just trying to make a point."

"There were better ways to make it." Lilo growled.

Spencer nodded his agreement. "My partner's right. Like I said, you wouldn't have talked about a normal human that way."

"Of course not." Justin looked offended by the idea. "But…they're just mutants."

The casual way he said that struck the two mutants in the room like a blow. Spencer bit his tongue at first before he realized—he didn't have to anymore. He wasn't a federal employee, wasn't representing the Bureau. He didn't have to hide his opinions or his support of mutants. With that realization, Spencer turned to face Justin and he did something he wouldn't have dared do while at the BAU-he let his temper free. For once he wasn't going to stand back and bite his tongue while listening to someone disparaging mutants. He didn't have to put up with that. Keeping the peace with officers was still important, yes, and alienating them by letting them know he was, in their eyes, a mutant sympathizer, would make his job a bit more difficult but not impossible. And sometimes there were some things worth causing a little trouble for. Now that he didn't have the worry of causing trouble at the Bureau or attracting too much unwanted attention, he wasn't going to let things like this slide anymore. He didn't have to. "For someone trying not to give offense, you sure seem to have a talent for doing it." He snapped.

"Excuse me…?" Justin started, eyebrows going up.

"I will not." Spencer cut him off. "With your words, you're implying that mutants aren't worthy of the same respect or sympathy as someone else simply because they're mutants. As if being a mutant suddenly makes someone _less _just because there's something in their genetic makeup that you don't possess. That's like trying to claim that someone with blue eyes is the lesser person in a room full of brown-eyed people."

"It's not the same. The person with blue eyes couldn't blow everyone to pieces if they had a temper tantrum." Justin countered. His own voice was sharp now in reaction to being dressed down in front of his coworkers. It cut at his pride and that had him responding back sharper than he might've otherwise.

He had no idea who he was up against here. If he thought his argument would help him at all, he was sadly mistaken. Spencer quickly shot back "No, but they could pull out a gun and shoot them all. If a person is already predisposed towards violent reactions, it doesn't matter if they're mutant or not, they'll find a way to let it out. If they don't come equipped with built in weapons, they'll just find a weapon of their own. Unless you're trying to imply that mutants are more predisposed towards violent actions. Because if you're ignorant enough to assume that, you're less intelligent than I thought and there's no real hope for me in this conversation anyways."

His harsh tone only served to put Justin's back up even more. The other profilers were frozen, watching the conversation between the two like it was some tennis match, their heads bouncing between them as the two volleyed words back and forth. Outside the room a hush had fallen over the bullpen as the other cops caught on to the sharp voices. There were more than a few that were standing near the open door and were watching the argument unfold between the two men. Neither one noticed it. Justin drew himself up in an unconscious response to the threat he felt and he glared at Spencer. "I think a mutant's predisposition towards violence is rather obvious, considering the actions we see them taking in the news every day."

"So you're going to judge a group by the actions of a few?" Spencer asked him. He shook his head. "That's a ridiculous and narrow-minded way of looking at things. With that viewpoint, I have no idea how you got into the Bureau, let alone into the BAU. I worked for nine years where you are right now. It's _my_ place you're filling. I worked with these very people here and I'll have you know that we captured countless serial killers. Arsonists, bombers, rapists, pedophiles, sadists—everything you can imagine and plenty that most people wouldn't think of even in their worst nightmares. We hunted them all. And would you believe that, out of all those cases, only three were mutants? _Three_. Tell me, who sounds more dangerous there?"

His words hit more than a few people there. There were quite a few surprised looks that were exchanged. Even Aaron looked a little surprised by Spencer's words. Surprised, and just slightly thoughtful.

But the genius wasn't done yet. He took a step forward and his eyes flashed ever so slightly, just a hint of the cougar inside peeking through. "All because of some twist in their genetics, mutants are treated like second rate citizens. They're mocked, ridiculed, insulted, attacked, and even hunted. They live through atrocities that would give you nightmares for the rest of your life, and they've nowhere to go for help because they've been raised up in a world where they're taught to fear the very people who should help them. I've seen young mutants raped and beaten, all because they were different. I've seen people walk right past them while they bled, begging for help. I've seen them sold on auction blocks like so much cattle and there's no one there to help them, all because they're _mutants_." Snorting, he moved back again and he shook his head. "Have we learned nothing from our past? Haven't we as a people learned anything? We've fought to abolish slavery, to give those of color equal rights. We've fought for women to have their rights. We've fought in wars to give others the freedom to live as they so choose. So why shouldn't mutants have that same right?"

The gentle touch of a hand to the small of his back was enough to draw Spencer's attention. He turned his head and looked to find Lilo watching him with both concern and warning in his eyes. He was silently reminding Spencer of where they were and that it might not be safe to show opinions like that quite so loudly. Spencer clamped down on his temper and swallowed the rage that was still threatening to spew from him. Lilo was right. This wasn't the time or the place for this. Gathering the tattered edges of his control, Spencer closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "If we come across any further information, I'll pass it along through Morgan. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check in with my team."

Quite a few people watched as the two men made their way out of the station. One of the cops standing by the conference room door gave a low whistle as he watched Spencer and Lilo go out the front door. "For a scrawny guy, that doc has some bite to him, doesn't he?" He said to the agents.

Derek gave a warm laugh, immensely proud of his best friend in that moment, and shook his head. "You have no idea."

* * *

Spencer's group met inside of his hotel room an hour after he and Lilo left the police station. They were spread out around the room with dinner sitting on the nearby table-dinner being a box of pizza. Tomas and Lilo were stretched out on the bed with their pizza held on napkins, Tanya was sitting at the table with her legs drawn up and crossed underneath her in the chair, and Spencer was up and pacing the room as he ate, a not-uncommon sight. He was still slightly agitated from his outburst at the station and he couldn't quite seem to get himself settled. He hadn't said a word about the whole thing since it'd happened. In fact, he was trying to pretend for the moment that it hadn't happened at all. He just ignored it when Lilo quietly told Tanya and Tomas about it.

Instead of focusing on that, he chose to focus on the case. He'd already called Kasey and had gotten the man to help him build a list of areas in Eugene that might work as storage facilities to hold the mutants that had been picked up by the traffickers until they were ready to move on and transport them out. Now, he and the team were trying to narrow it down. But that was hard to do when they weren't entirely sure who it was they were going after. The best they could do was make educated guesses and hope they were right. If they could just narrow it down to a few, they could go and check them out and work from there. But right now the list held fifteen different locations and it would take far too long to go to each one and check it out. They needed to narrow this down, fast.

That job became much easier when Spencer's phone rang once more. He flipped it open and hit the speaker button. "Reid."

"_Hey Boss._" Kasey said by way of greeting. "_Sorry it took so long. I'm still working all the bugs out of our system_."

"It's fine, Kasey. What do you have for us?"

"_Well, you were right to think this is familiar. I ran what we have through our private files and it came up with a match on a few counts. It looks like a group we've been trying to get information on for about the past year. The…"_

The proverbial light bulb went off for Spencer and he could've cursed himself. "Orion Corporation.." He finished for Kasey. "I _knew_ it was familiar!"

"Shit." Lilo swore softly.

The Orion Corporation was one of the biggest trafficking groups that they'd ever hunted. They weren't just traffickers, they were an actual business. A _security business_. For almost a year now Spencer and his team had been trying to gather what information they could about this group. They were responsible for quite a lot of mutant trafficking. Not just slave rings, but fight rings, underground 'freak shows', international sales, and even a few mutant brothels if information was correct. They were a big group—and a dangerous one. Their security business wasn't just a cover. They had a lot of ex-military, ex-law enforcement, mercenary types who were very, very good at what they did. The level of organization that Spencer was coming across here with this case just started to make a whole lot more sense.

"This is bad." Tanya said. She looked up at Spencer, her eyes a little wide. "We're in no way ready to take them on, Spencer."

Spencer grimaced. "I know." He sighed and brought a hand up, his knuckles brushing against the bottom of his chin in an old nervous, thinking gesture."At most, what we'll be able to do here is free those that are already taken. But there's no way we're prepared enough to take down the entire ring." Though he hated what he was about to say, it was the truth and all of them here knew it. "We have to accept that anything we do here, this group is going to recover from. And they'll be more on alert once we show our hand this way. They'll know we're coming at them."

"We can't walk away, Boss." Tomas protested.

"We aren't." Spencer reassured him. "I'm just warning you what's at stake here. I'm not suggesting walking away." He drew in a deep breath and tried to still his racing mind. There would be time to freak out a bit about this later. Right now things had become much more serious and he needed to think with a clear head. "Kasey, you still there?"

"_Here, Boss._"

"I need you to add all this new information into the files on the Orion Corporation. Then I want you to gather up everything that we've got on them and have it ready for us whenever we get back. We'll need to call everyone in, too. And talk to Sean, get him to make sure that security's tight on the place. If they figure out who we are, we need to be prepared for the chance that they'll try and hunt us down. Put everyone on alert. No one goes anywhere alone."

_"__Got it."_

The click of the phone told him the call had ended. Spencer closed his phone once more and turned his attention to the team members with him. "Our plan doesn't change. What we need to focus on is finding them. We've narrowed down some general areas to look already." Pulling the map over, Spencer grabbed one of his pens and started to cross things out. "With what we know of this group, they usually use the same style places. They're also really good at security, so we need to be prepared for that. This takes away a few places and leaves us with…two places."

"We can handle two." Lilo said. "It won't take long to case the places and see if they're showing signs of a security higher than what they should have."

The cougar in Spencer was itching to push free. They'd identified their prey, narrowed down their locations, and everything in him was aching to be set free to hunt. It felt oh-so-good to reach inside and flip the switch and let the cat free. Spencer felt his body change. When he looked up at his team, his amber eyes were shining with an inner light and there was a sharp smile curling his lips. "Let's go hunt."

* * *

_There you go. This was a long one, and a case styled one, and you all know how I loathe those :P Still, I hope you liked it, sugar bees! And in the next chapter we'll get to see our favorite men finally meet (ABOUT DANG TIME!) I know you're all screaming that at me lol. Six chapters in before they meet? So strange for me. Yet I had so much to set up! I hope I haven't lost anyone and that you're all still with me, and I hope you continue to enjoy this. Be sure to let me know what you t'ink!_


	7. Chapter 7

Naturally, the first place Spencer and his team went to was a bust. There was nothing there and they could tell that with one look. It was at the second place that they hit pay dirt. It was a self-storage facility that was composed of tons of cargo containers. It was a place made for large personal use, or small businesses. There was plenty of room to drive a full sized semi inside of the facility, making it easy to load and unload, and also making it easy for someone to get in and get their product transferred discreetly if they so wished. But that wasn't what really tipped Spencer and his team off. What really tipped them off was the security they saw around the place. There were men patrolling the perimeter in security shirts, a not uncommon sight. What made them special was the emblem on their shirt—the emblem of Orion Security.

"Wow, they're not exactly being subtle, are they?" Tanya asked, lowering her binoculars.

Tomas snorted softly. "Why would they be? They're a legitimate security company so if they come on as such, wearing their uniforms, they have a valid reason to keep watch over their container, and to make sure no one comes after their stuff. It's actually a smart move."

"So, what, they just say they're going to store something there and kindly ask the place if they can place some guards there?" Lilo asked.

"Probably." Spencer said. It was actually a rather common practice when people were shipping or storing important things. They'd hire their own security and send it along and those guards would stand watch, no matter where it was. Even in a storage place.

Spencer and his friends had parked their car a few blocks away and they'd covered the last bit of distance on foot. Luck was on their side at least a little bit, at least. On one side of the property was a small wooded area that was just big enough to provide them with a small bit of cover. Of course, it was separated from the facility by a fence, and the security team had people patrolling the other side of the fence. There was no way they were going to leave something as obvious as this unguarded. It offered so many entrance points. But the trees extended out far enough that they were safely hidden, so long as they didn't venture in too far. It would provide them enough security and cover to start to figure out how the hell they were going to get in. At least, that was the plan. Right up until Spencer caught a scent in the air that had him giving a low snarl.

Immediately Lilo and Tomas braced and started to look around while Tanya focused right on Spencer. "What is it?" She asked.

Spencer's eyes were scanning the darkness around him and he breathed in deeply through his nose to draw that scent in once more. Another snarl slid free. With his friends around him, people he was responsible for, that scent was enough to have the predator in him rising up. "There's another feral here." He murmured lowly. His eyes caught slight movement off in the distance. Two figures slipping through the shadows, towards the trees. That one look at them gave him a pretty good idea of who the guests were. Great, just great. No wonder he'd caught the scent of a feral. He drew in a careful breath and tried to relax his instinctive reactions. _He's not a threat, not to me and not to the others_ he reminded himself firmly.

"A feral?" Tomas asked.

Calmer now, Spencer nodded. "Yes. Either my eyesight is off, or we're about to lose our choice on dealing with the X-Men here. Two of them are coming in just down the way, near the road."

Tanya bit her lip and looked in the direction Spencer was looking, though her eyes didn't see in the dark anywhere near as well as his. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm going to talk to them." Spencer said it simply, like it was the most logical answer, like he hadn't just mere moments before been ready to snap and snarl at the newcomers. He looked over at his friends, saw their nervous expressions, and he smiled reassuringly. "It'll be fine. Come on." With that, he started forward, his friends falling in behind him.

He knew that the Wolverine would hear them coming before they met up. He was counting on it. Sure enough, when both teams finally reached one another, no one looked surprised to see each other. Wolverine stepped out of the trees with someone at his side that Spencer thought might be the one called Gambit. The two made quite a pair. There was enough to both of them to clearly label them as 'predator' to Spencer's instincts. One was short and stocky with the look of a brawler to him. Wolverine was a solidly built man with a pair of the most striking blue eyes Spencer had ever seen. There was no doubt he would be one hell of a formidable foe, especially with the things that Spencer knew about him from his time at the Bureau, and it was him that had Spencer's muscles tensing and bracing in preparation for any sort of trouble.

The man at his side was equally dangerous. Tall and lean, he moved with a natural grace to his movements that left Spencer wondering if there was a bit of a cat in him as well. He was easy on the eyes, with the lean build of a fighter or a dancer and a smiling face that probably drew plenty an eye when he walked down the street. He wore a smirk that carried a definite sexual edge to it and which seemed so out of place in their situation, yet it matched with rumors that Spencer had heard of the man. There wasn't much in the file at the Bureau on Gambit, but there was plenty said about him through the mutant underground. There was plenty said about Gambit and Wolverine both.

It was that reputation that Spencer was counting on now. Not the ones they had as X-Men, but the ones they had as individuals. Those were what kept Spencer calm as the two men walked up and stopped just a few feet in front of him. Still, he couldn't help the reaction to another obvious predator right in front of him, one that he _knew_ could shred him if they had to fight. His whole body shifted into a slightly defensive stance, ready to leap if need be, and his ears flattened a bit. The only thing that kept his tail from actually twitching behind him was wrapping it around his leg to keep it still.

None of that was missed by their newcomers. Just as he was observing them, they were observing him and his friends, and Spencer could feel their eyes taking in all the little details in his body language. They showed their understanding of it by stopping a safe distance away. Wolverine looked as defensive as Spencer did, but he wasn't acting on it. The fact that his posture was defensive and not offensive went a good way towards relaxing Spencer. Wolverine wasn't threatening them. By his body language, he was reacting to a threat, and the cougar in Spencer wanted to give a happy little growl at that.

Wolverine was the one to speak first. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked Spencer over from head to toe in a blatantly assessing move. "You must be Stalker." He spoke in a voice that was low and carried a definite hint of a growl to it.

The urge to growl back reared up and was quickly squashed down. This wasn't the time or the place to get into a territorial pissing contest. Spencer flexed his hands and he knew his tail gave a sharp twitch under the jacket he wore, yet those were the only outward signs of his inner agitation. His voice, when he spoke, was steady and even, albeit a little rougher than normal, not quite able to keep the growl out of it completely. "Indeed. And you're the Wolverine and Gambit."

Humor danced on Gambit's face. He lazily reached out and slapped the back of his hand against Wolverine's arm. "Would y' look at dat, _mon ami_? Our reputations precede us."

That smooth Cajun drawl rolled through Spencer and warmed him like a good, strong whiskey. He pushed aside that inappropriate thought. _Not now_ he scolded himself. "I'd guess that you two are here for the same reason we are."

That comment had a sobering effect on everyone. The grin on Gambit's face faded and Wolverine straightened up just a bit more, his eyes flashing. "We got word about someone setting up something out here and figured we'd check it out. I'd say that finding you guys here is a damn good sign we're in the right place." Wolverine growled out. He looked over towards the warehouse and then back to Spencer. "The kids are in there?"

"We're almost positive. We were just about to take a quick look around when I noticed you two." Spencer said. "I figured I'd come and say hello before we get things started."

"Need an extra pair of hands?" Gambit offered, holding his out on either side of him. He flashed them all a cheeky grin when all eyes turned to him. "Seems stupid t' work apart when we're all goin' fo' de same t'ing, _noni?_ Better to work together dan get in each other's way."

It was what Spencer had been planning on suggesting. Six stood a much better chance than four. Right now, this was about the kids, and nothing else could get in the way of that. Not even their own personal discomfort. A discomfort he could practically feel radiating off of Lilo. At Gambit's suggestion, Lilo had made a small sound, almost pained. Spencer turned to him now and he could see the look in his eyes, the one that told Spencer that the man didn't want to trust their safety to these newcomers. He was keeping silent about it because he trusted Spencer, but he wasn't happy about it. He disliked having to trust their safety to any unknowns. Spencer reached back, putting his hand on Lilo's shoulder. "It's going to be fine." He said in a voice so low it was almost a soft rumble. "We can put aside any differences for something like this, don't you think?"

"Whatever you say, Boss." Lilo answered softly yet firmly. From the average person, that would've been meant sarcastically. From Lilo, Spencer knew he meant it completely.

Mentally Spencer added that to the ever-growing list of things in his head that he would handle later. For now, he turned enough that he could face everyone as a group, and he got them back on track. "We'd appreciate your help."

"Six stands a much better chance than four." Tanya pointed out. Beside her, Tomas stood quiet, but he gave a small nod to show his agreement.

Wolverine nodded his agreement as well. "You guys got a plan?"

"I think I do." Spencer said. He stared off through the trees, eyes fixed in the direction of the storage facility. His mind was moving quickly, gathering in all the things they'd already seen, all the things they knew about the Orion group, and what he knew about the people with them. With the addition of Wolverine and Gambit, a few things were changed around, a few possibilities open now that hadn't been before, and he was running through them now. Still staring ahead, he suddenly said "We should move back to the car. I don't like being so open to plan here." With no more than that, he turned around, towards the direction of the car, and he pulled his hood up once more and set off. His friends fell into step behind him immediately. Behind them, Wolverine and Gambit shared a look, a silent conversation that carried quite a few questions back and forth. After a moment, they set off with the group.

Spencer felt a little more relaxed when they were back at the rental car. Here they were far enough away so as to be able to be inconspicuous and they were in a place where he would be able to watch around him to see if anyone was coming towards them.

No one wasted any more time now that they were here. They all gathered around the back of the car in a loose ring and all their eyes were fixed right on Spencer. "What's the plan, Stalker?" Tanya asked him. Spencer had seated himself on the trunk and she was leaning against it right beside him.

He didn't answer her directly. Instead, still lost in his thoughts, he asked the group "Do one of you have your phone on you?"

"I do, Boss." Tomas said. He pulled it out of his pocket and held it up.

A quick smile flashed over Spencer's lips. "Perfect. Would you mind using that thing that lets you bring up aerial images of places? I need an overhead view of the place."

There were more than a few chuckles that went around the group. Even Gambit looked amused, though Wolverine just raised an eyebrow. Good humor and a hint of laughter echoed in Gambit's voice as he teasingly asked "Y' mean Google Maps?"

Spencer didn't even notice the humor at his expense. His mind was far too busy to register things like that. "Yes, that. Thank you." A plan was starting to come together in Spencer's mind. It might work. It might, depending on what he saw on the aerial images. Just a moment later, Tomas had it for him. He passed the phone over and it was Tanya who took it, holding it out for Spencer. He didn't try to take it from her. Instead, he leant over and bent down enough to look at it. He moved a finger out to touch the touchscreen before realizing that it wouldn't work. Tanya chuckled and bumped her shoulder against his leg. "What do you need, hon?"

"Can you make this section bigger?" He asked, pointing a claw at one area. She did as he asked, and then again when he asked again. When she had it where he wanted, his eyes raced over the image, taking in every single detail with the eye of an ex-thief, ex-FBI agent, and someone who had gone on countless missions and raids with his own private team. It gave him a unique viewpoint when looking at images like this. It was a perfect overhead of the facility they were trying to get in to.

Spencer took the phone from Tanya's hand and he leaned forward, holding the phone out so that everyone could look down at it, grateful that Tomas carried one of the larger styled phones. "So, this is the self-storage facility." Spencer told them all as they gathered round. "Security wise, we've got the fence surrounding the place completely as well as two stone walls at the front and a front gate as well. I saw the gate when we passed by and it's electronic; you have to enter a key code to get in."

"Dey got security cameras up dere, too." Gambit put in. He reached out and zoomed the picture in towards the front gate before pointing to two spots on either side of the gate. "Here and here."

Spencer tried to reach a hand out again and looked down at his furred finger, giving a low growl. "Forget this." He thrust the phone over at a surprised Tomas and then he hopped off the trunk of the car. A second later he had the trunk open and was reaching down into one of the bags in there. From there he pulled a notebook with a pen hooked to it. In no time he had the trunk shut, was sitting on it once more, and the notebook was on his lap. With quick moves he sketched the basic lines of the property and then the containers themselves. "Much better." He said happily. Someone snickered at him and he ignored it. He quickly traced the pen around the paper. "Okay, so, here's the fence, closing everything in, and here's the front gate. You said you saw cameras here and here?" He directed the last part to Gambit, indicating to points on the paper. At Gambit's "_Oui_", Spencer marked them with small stars. Then he moved down the paper and added in a few more stars. "From what I saw when we passed and from what I could make out in that image, I'd say we have cameras here, here, here, here, here, and here." Six more he added in there.

"There were two guards out here on the street side, by the corners." Lilo gestured to two different spots.

Nodding, Spencer marked them in as well. "There were two along the wall by the trees." He added, drawing marks for them as well.

Wolverine reached forward and pointed to the other side opposite the one they'd been on. "There were two more over here. We saw em when we passed by. An it looked like there were three more way back here, by this row of containers. They didn't do much but stand back there."

The facility was set up in a simple way. When you came in through the front gate, you went down a long, straight line, with containers lined up on either side all the way to the back. Then there was a driveway with room enough to get a semi turned around and, at the far side of it, there was one last row of containers, their openings facing towards the front entrance. Those last ones were the ones that Wolverine was pointing to.

"They just stayed back there?" Tanya asked. "No pacing, no going anywhere else?"

Wolverine shook his head. "Not that we saw."

By the time they were done, they had eight cameras marked and eleven guards marked down. Plus, Spencer warned them, whatever ones might be inside the container with their hostages. They had to be prepared for that, too. But this gave them a somewhat comprehensive view of what they were getting into. Spencer looked down at it and let all of it build in his mind, all the possibilities spinning out before him, ideas coming and going, discarded for one reason or another, expanded on here and there. All of it was racing around in his head so that he forgot the group around him, not realizing how he was being watched. Wolverine and Gambit both were giving him curious looks. Seeing those looks had Tanya smiling. She knew Spencer wouldn't really hear any of them right now, not with as far in his head as he was, so she felt secure in looking at their guests and explaining "He's thinking and planning. Stalker has a rather…exceptional mind. He'll be running mental calculations and deciding the probability of each potential plan."

"Your very own Sherlock, huh?" Wolverine said with a smirk that showed just a hint of fang.

Instead of frightening them, as that smirk might've done to others, it actually worked to set Spencer's friends at ease a little. They'd all seen a smirk like that on Spencer's face more than once. The fanged smile with that hint of mischievousness and the touch of danger to it. To them, that was normal and familiar. They weren't scared of ferals like most people were. They didn't automatically assume that being a feral made a person bad or evil. Though they respected the danger a feral could present, they also recognized the good. The trio exchanged fond looks at Wolverine's comment. "You could call him that." Lilo said, a shadow of a smile touching his lips briefly.

What else was about to be said was cut off when Spencer suddenly looked up at them and said "What we need is a diversion."

Immediately, his team was focused on him again, amusing their guests with how quickly they snapped to attention. Spencer pointed to the side of the map with all the trees, his mind still racing with what he was thinking. "Our best chance of success seems to be from this plan. If someone made a good diversion over here, drawing the attention of as many of the guards as possible, it would lessen the guards on the sides and we should be able to come in from the very back, behind this far row of containers. They'll probably have a camera there, though. None of us got back there to check it out earlier."

"Gambit can take care of dat." Gambit offered.

Spencer looked up at him and debated only a second before nodding. The man had a reputation of being a master thief. It was one thing that everyone who spoke about him could agree on. "Okay. Once we're in, we'll come up to the back of the containers. Provided the others go, that'll leave us with the three guards back here to contend with. We'll need to move swiftly, before they can raise an alarm. You two," He looked over at Tanya and Tomas, who were side by side. "Leave the guards to us. Your job is to get to the container as quickly as possible. The goal is to get the kids out of here."

It was easy to forget that there were two with them that didn't know things about them. Spencer didn't even think about it as he explained what needed to be done. He was so used to working with his team, all of whom knew one another and knew how to work together. They knew each other's powers, their strengths and weaknesses. Used to working with that, he didn't think about how Wolverine and Gambit didn't know any of that and they wouldn't understand why it was Tanya and Tomas who had to get back to that container. But Tanya realized it and she hurried to explain to them. "I'm a teleporter. Normally, I can only teleport myself and maybe one other, depending on my energy levels. But Conduit here can do exactly what his name suggests. He acts as a conduit, taking energy from people and passing it to others. If he gives me enough energy, I've been able to take a total of four others with me at a time. I can't go just anywhere, though. I can only go to places I've memorized and gotten a feel for. So I'll go in and get the kids and take them to a prearranged location and then I'll come back, because teleporting out will help me know the space well enough to come back to it, and I'll take the rest."

"Can you handle the diversion, Lee?" Spencer asked Lilo.

A brief grimace crossed Lilo's face, quickly smoothed back out. "I can. I picked up a few things around town, so I should be able to rig up something. It's gonna draw some attention from outside the place, though."

"That's fine." He'd already figured that in and was prepared for it. "We'll be gone before that becomes a problem."

"Then I've got you covered."

"Good. If you'll handle the diversion, the rest of us can head around to the back." Spencer turned and his amber eyes swept over Wolverine and Gambit. "Are you two sure you want to be here for this? There's no shame in walking away now, if you want."

Gambit scoffed and Wolverine glared at him as if the offer had offended him. Seeing those reactions had Spencer holding his hands out peacefully. "Okay, okay. Point taken. Let's get ready then, everyone."

It only took moments for everyone to prepare themselves. Spencer shed his jacket and tossed it into the backseat of the car, along with his over shirt. It left him in a tank top and what he thought of as his working pants. They were a looser pair of cargo pants with pockets where he could keep various things he might need. They'd been adjusted for him by Tanya, who had made a hole for his tail in the back. They were what Spencer preferred to wear for work like this; he'd worn them all the time back in his teenage years. He was already barefoot. He could wear shoes like this if he had to but they weren't exactly comfortable.

Freed from all his extras, he uncurled his tail from where it had still been wrapped around his thigh and he let it stretch out while he stretched out the rest of his body, arms up high above his head. When he dropped them back down, he found he was being watched by their guests. Wolverine was giving him an appraising look, taking him in from head to toe in a way that suggested he was probably assessing Spencer's abilities, his strengths and weaknesses. Because he could respect it and had done the same thing himself to Wolverine, he said nothing. It was the look on Gambit's face that really threw him. The man was looking at him with something Spencer had rarely see on someone's face while he was in this form—appreciation. The man was enjoying looking him over and he didn't seem the least bit bothered that Spencer had caught him checking him out. In fact, he flashed a bright, flirtatious grin at him, and the cheeky little shit asked "Does dat fur go everywhere?"

There were a few surprised laughs. Wolverine scowled at his friend and smacked his arm. "Gumbo!"

"What?" Gambit asked innocently. "Just curious, Wolvie. Dere aint no harm in asking questions, is dere?"

Spencer rolled his eyes, but he was grateful for the fur that prevented his blush from being seen. "We should get going." He told them in a blatant effort to change the subject. The others noticed and they chuckled over it, but they didn't stop him. Lilo grabbed his bag, shut the trunk, and they all set off together towards the trees once more. It was when they were in the trees that they split up. Lilo was going to stay here to set up his distraction for them while the others would head around back. Spencer lightly touched his friend's shoulder, pausing beside him, and he warned "Be safe."

"You too, Boss." Lilo said back. He smiled at them as they started off. But when Gambit started to go past him, he reached out and caught his arm right above his elbow. It stopped Gambit in his tracks and had his head snapping back toward him. Staring intently at the Cajun, Lilo wore one of his hardest expressions, one that Spencer hadn't seen in a long time. "I'm trusting your reputation here, Gambit, and I'm trusting you." A flick of the eyes towards Spencer left no doubt as to what he was trusting Gambit with. "Don't make me regret it."

There was a moment of silence and then Gambit gave a sharp nod and Lilo let go of him. Silence fell over the night as the group slipped off into the dark.

* * *

_This isn't as long as it was going to be because I wanted to give you guys something since I've been too busy to update these past few days. But the next chapter is plotted out so it shouldn't take me long to finish! I did want to ask, though, if you guys wanted to see the next chapter from Spencer's POV, or from Remy's. I'd love your opinion on it :) I hope you guys enjoyed this and thanks for all the reviews you've been leaving, m'dears! You're wonderful!_


	8. Chapter 8

Well this night was turning out a whole lot different than he'd thought it would. Remy was lying flat on his stomach on top of a cargo container waiting for a signal so that he could cut the line of the camera in front of him so that down below Logan and a group of people he didn't know could rush into this self-storage facility and rescue a bunch of victims who'd been kidnapped by a human trafficking team. It sounded like something off some bad police show. Or, just another day in the life of the X-Men. That thought had him wanting to shake his head. What did it say about them that something like this started to become commonplace?

While he waited, Remy put most of his attention on keeping a careful eye around him to watch out for the signal and keep a lookout for trouble, and let the rest of his mind drift over the three people hiding nearby with Logan. Stalker, Conduit, and Beam. Those three, with their friend back there that Stalker had simply called 'Lee', made quite an interesting group. From what Remy had heard about them lately, this wasn't all of the team, and he wondered where the others were.

The people weren't at all what he'd expected. Everything he'd heard about this Stalker had painted him as a bit of a hard ass; they said he was dangerous and definitely not someone that you'd want to cross. Remy had unconsciously pictured someone maybe a bit like, well, like Logan or Creed. Ever after they'd glimpsed that slender guy near the library that Logan had said carried the feline scent, Remy had figured that whatever transformation happened would make him look a bit more like the ferals he was used to. What he found was someone who completely threw all that right out the window.

Stalker was tall and he was slender, though not as slender as his human form. There was definite muscle on that lean body. Though he wasn't entirely a cat—more a cat-human hybrid—he was unmistakably feline. It showed in every inch of him, in the tail that was currently lying low on the ground, in the rounded ears that were perked up at the moment, in the fangs in his smile, and in the fur that covered him. It also showed each time he moved. Even walking, that lithe body moved with a grace and sensuality that seemed unique to those possessing feline traits. He was an absolute pleasure to watch. Remy admired the grace of his movements and he'd found himself wondering as he watched him whether or not all that fur was as soft as it looked. Something told him that he might find a bit of trouble if he tried to find out. And he didn't think it would come from Stalker.

The three others seemed very protective of the one they called 'Boss'. Lee especially. The threat he'd given before they separated had been a clear warning. It was telling that neither Conduit nor Beam had even batted an eye at that threat. They had, in fact, looked at him with expressions that almost matched the ferocity of their friend's. They were all so very loyal. This wasn't the kind of loyalty that could be bought or forced. The way they moved around Stalker, the way they talked to and with him, even the way they looked at him, all of it spoke of a trust and loyalty that was born from a deep love and respect. They cared for him quite a bit. They sought to protect him, yet didn't hesitate to follow whatever orders he gave them, trusting to him to do what was right.

Something moved in the darkness ahead and Remy's eyes snapped that direction immediately. The guard back here was moving, pacing from one end to the next. They hadn't known about him in their planning and, to Remy, it changed a few things, but Stalker had taken the man's presence in stride and hadn't even faltered. He'd just gestured for them to hide here in the last of the trees, close to the back where they were going to slip in, and he'd murmured to Remy to "When it comes time, take care of the camera. I'll take care of the guard."

There had to be some trust here. Stalker was trusting Remy to take care of the camera, so Remy would trust to Stalker to take care of the guard. If he didn't, well, it would take nothing for Remy to drop down form up here and take the man out.

It had been child's play for Remy to slip in and get up on these containers. He'd been breaking in to places while remaining unseen ever since he was a child. Getting in here and up onto the container had taken no real effort. Here was where it came in handy to have a team, though. Taking out the cameras and the guards all together, plus creating a diversion to distract the other guards, would've taken some planning and preparation for Remy to pull off alone.

All of a sudden Remy's thoughts were broken by the sound of a large explosion. His head shot sideways and he looked back over his shoulder to see a bright glowing light on one of the containers near the front of the facility. There was a flash of light and another big bang and now there was smoke to go with the light. Damn! Had Lee seriously tried to blow up one of the cargo containers up front? When this guy made a distraction, he really made a distraction, didn't he? Remy shook his head at that even as he pulled out his small pocket pliers and slid forward just enough to grab the wire for the camera and give it a quick _snip_. That would effectively cut that picture off. They'd notice it, sure, but hopefully the explosions would keep them away from the monitors for a while. He looked up towards the darkness where he'd left the others and gave a quick thumbs-up to let them know it was clear.

Even though he was watching, there was nothing that gave Stalker away until the feline suddenly appeared out of the shadows just a few feet behind the guard, over near the fence on the right. Remy couldn't help but admire the quick and efficient movements as Stalker proved true to his name and silently stalked up behind his victim and then, with a leap of his legs that was rather impressive, he launched himself onto the guard's back. One arm curled around the man's neck while the other hand covered the man's mouth. The two dropped down to the ground and Remy saw as the man struggled to break free of the firm grip that Stalker had. After only a moment, the guard slumped down and Stalker was dropping his unconscious form onto the ground. Well, hell.

Remy watched as Stalker gestured at the fence line. Logan, Beam and Conduit all came in, moving quickly and quietly through the dark. A few hand gestures showed them which directions to split to. Remy blinked his eyes in surprise at those gestures; there was something oddly familiar about them. He tried to place where he'd seen them. They weren't the ones that Scott used, nor were they the ones that Remy had learned as a thief. Where had he seen hand signals like that before? He didn't get a chance to think about it. Stalker surprised Remy once more by turning towards him and, with another of those leaps that seemed so impossible for a person to make, he jumped up and landed neatly and almost silently at Remy's side. Seeing the surprised look on Remy's face, a pleased and amused smile spread over Stalker's face, giving him a mischievous look that made an already attractive face even more so. Then he was all business, leaning in close and lowering his voice to a softly rumbled whisper that was almost silent. "You take the middle, I'll take the left, and Wolverine's coming around to the one on the right."

"The cameras." Remy murmured, gesturing to the two ahead.

Lifting one hand, Stalker pointed across the way to the other cargo containers. Remy looked for a moment before he saw a dark shape carefully moving across the top of one of the containers close to the first camera. A second later he realized who it was; Lee. The man had something with him, something by his hands that looked black. Whatever it was, he was putting it over the camera in front of him and sending more of it across the way to block off the other camera.

There was no more time to wonder. Stalker gestured to him and then the feline was crouching low and rushing forward towards the direction of 'his' guard. Remy took that as his own cue and started to move. He drew his Bo out and extended it and then, when he saw Stalker make his leap down, he jumped as well with the staff already swinging. The man never knew what hit him. He'd barely turned before the Bo swept around and slammed into the back of his head. He dropped to the ground, unconscious. The other two guards had been dispatched just as quickly.

Beam and Conduit had already rushed around the corner near Stalker and they moved to the container that Stalker was gesturing to. How did he know which one to go in? That was a question Remy logged away for later. For now he ran over alongside Logan. What they found inside had Remy both aching and furious. There were rows of cages in here, each one containing a person inside of it. Some of them looked average while there were others that he could see were mutants even in the darkness.

Here was where Remy truly got a chance to see these people work as a team. Stalker's voice called out orders as he moved into the container without hesitation. "Conduit, Beam, back of the container. Lee, guard the door. Wolverine, Gambit, can you help us get these cages open?" Then he was striding right down the little hallway that had been created between the cages and his voice changed completely, turning to something much softer and much more comforting. "Everyone, I want you to listen to me. My name is Stalker and these people with me are here to help you. We're going to get you out of here but I need all of you to keep as calm as possible. We're going to come around and get your cages open and then, if you can move, please make your way to the back of the container. We're going to teleport you out of here."

There was just something in his tone that seemed to inspire ease in those that heard it. Remy wasn't sure what it was. But the people around them responded to it. They were still scared, but they all moved quickly out of their cages once they were opened and they rushed to the back, just as they'd been told to do. There was only one that didn't move from the containers; a young girl who whimpered each time she tried to move. Every time any of the men got close, her whimpers grew to cries. Stalker quickly gestured them back and called "Beam!" in a low voice. She was there in a flash, moving to the cage, and Remy watched as she gently coaxed the girl out and practically carried her towards the back. The woman was quite a bit stronger than she looked. Helping hold that girl up didn't seem to take anything at all. She led her back with the others. Total, there looked to be ten teenage boys and girls that they'd pulled from the cages.

A short whistle from the front of the crate drew their attention. "Incoming!" Lee called back to them.

Stalker gave a low curse. He spun towards Conduit and held a hand out towards him. "Hurry, take it!" he hissed out. Conduit grabbed hold of his hand and Remy couldn't see that anything at all happened, but when they let go, Stalker stumbled slightly before straightening himself and he looked like he'd run miles. Still, he nodded towards the people at the back and told Beam "Get them out of here. Go!" Then he spun around and raced towards the front.

What else could they do? Remy and Logan exchanged one brief look and then they hurried towards the front as well. Remy had his Bo still in his hands, ready to go, but what the two ahead of him were doing was the last thing he'd expect. Instead of racing out to take on the guards, they were grabbing the doors to the container and yanking them shut!

"What the hell are you doing?" Logan snarled at them.

Stalker held hard to the door and didn't even bother to look back at them. "Help us keep these shut. We can't exactly lock them from the inside!"

"An why would we want to lock ourselves in here?"

It was Lee who looked back at them and snapped out the answer that, once he said it, really was obvious. "Because we need to give the others a chance to get out. Once they're gone, Beam can take us. We just need to keep the bastards out until then!"

The four of them managed to keep the doors shut with their combined efforts, though the men on the outside were fighting hard to open them. Remy held on tightly until footsteps came rushing up behind him. "Lean close and grab on!" Beam was saying to them, moving right up into the middle of the group. Remy reached out and 'grabbed on', catching hold of her arm. Logan caught her wrist. Remy had just enough time to see Lee, Stalker and Conduit all put their hands on her and then the whole world around them seemed to sort of _blink_. One second he was standing at that container and the next second he was standing in what looked to be the living room of an old, broken down house. A room that was already filled with people. Remy looked over to Logan, who looked just as stunned as him. This night was proving to be full of surprises!

* * *

Spencer didn't hesitate once they arrived at the house. As soon as his feet were steady, he let go of Beam with a quick "Thank you" and then he was moving. There were ten teens lying around the room, all of them without clothes, one of them injured, and all of them with a strange sort of anklet that was identical to the ones the others were wearing. Those would have to wait a moment, though. First order of business was getting everyone comfortable. Though Spencer had no idea when Tanya had found the time to come to this home and memorize the location enough to bring them here—maybe when she was out with Tomas, after talking to families? He'd have to ask her later—but a look around told him what the place was. It was a safe house, just like countless others they'd been in before. It must've been something that Lilo and Tomas had found or gained permission to use through the local shelter system.

A quick look in the nearby closet found just what Spencer needed. He grabbed the stack of blankets in there and carried them back over towards the living room. He handed half of it to Lilo, who immediately started to hand them out. Spencer handed out a few before going to take one over to the injured girl, who was clinging tightly to a now seated Tanya. She whimpered when Spencer stopped by them. He made sure to stay back just a bit as he squatted down in front of them and handed the blanket to Tanya, who wrapped it around the girl. His eyes found the girl's, which were just barely peeking out from under her bangs, and one look at those color changing orbs and he knew who it was that Tanya was holding.

"Hey there." He kept his voice in that low, gentle cadence that always seemed to soothe victims. It was a tone he could only manage when he was in this form. It was low and held a sort of purring rumble to it that came from deep down in his chest. He would've figured that it would be a sound that would scare, not soothe, yet victims responded well to it. "My name is Stalker. And you, you're Shantessie, right?"

Shantessie clutched the blanket a little closer and her eyes went wider. "H-How…?"

"Your father asked us to find you."

"Daddy?"

In that one single word was all the fear and hope that a young teen could hold. The love and faith that a child still holds in their parent, a faith that their parent will take away whatever's wrong and somehow make it right again. Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded at her. "That's right. Your father called in a whole team just to come and find you, and they brought us. We're going to get you home to him, okay? We're going to get you to a doctor to have them check you out and I'll make sure to call your Daddy in so he can meet us at the hospital. How does that sound?"

Tears poured from eyes that were the color of the ocean at sunrise. "Thank you." She whispered, leaning in a little more to Tanya but still looking up at him. "Thank you."

Spencer gave her a gentle smile before pushing up to his feet. Over her head, he caught Tanya's eye and she gave him a reassuring smile to let him know that she had her. He nodded in response. Assessing eyes ran over her, giving a quick check, and he made a mental note to make sure that Tanya got some food and rest soon. All the teleporting had tired her, even with Tomas's help.

Turning around, Spencer looked around the room, taking in everything around him. Lilo and Tomas were over with two teenage boys, one of which was one that Spencer remembered seeing, the one with black lips and fangs. Gambit was kneeling next to a young girl who seemed to be relaxing the more that they talked. And Wolverine was over near another teenage boy. Spencer watched as Wolverine crouched down by the kid and reached out for one of the anklets and, realizing what he was going to do, Spencer called out "Stop!"

All heads turned towards Spencer as the feline darted around a few people and hurried right up to them. "Don't try to take that off yet." He warned Wolverine, dropping down beside the person. "If these are what I think they are, I've heard about them. They're a new sort of technology." Spencer kept his hands in his lap and looked up at the boy who was sitting there, their leg extended, watching them with a half afraid, half hopeful look on their face. His voice gentled ever so slightly to a low tone underscored by a soft rumble that was oddly soothing. "Do you mind if I touch your leg so I can look at this?"

The fact that he asked permission seemed to stun the teen. "S-Sure."

"Thank you." In deference to the teen's fear, Spencer kept his touch as minimal as possible, lightly lifting up his leg just enough for him to be able to examine the anklet. He looked at it this way and that. The thing appeared seamless. It was a perfect metal cuff around the ankle, about four inches in width, and loose enough to be able to move while making sure there was no way to slide it down over the foot. Spencer could fit his finger in between the cuff and the boy's skin. On the outside was a hole, seemingly where a key could be inserted. It made sense that their captors had to have a way to remove the anklets, just in case. But any key they might've had would be back with the guards.

Spencer looked back down at the cuff. "Hmm." How was he going to get this thing off? Nothing he saw on it suggested that any attempts to take it off would cause any sort of pain. There didn't seem to be any defensive mechanisms built in. Spencer popped out a claw and traced a line on the outside of it. Nothing happened.

"Nothing happens if you mess with it." The teen said suddenly, drawing Spencer's gaze up to him. He was watching Spencer's claw against the metal. "You can tug at it all you want. It doesn't do anything unless you try and pick the lock. It gives you a second like it thinks maybe you're the key, and then it shocks you. Or they…they can make it shock you, if they want."

It shocked, did it? That would explain why they were still on. Electric shock would prevent the kids from tampering with them and trying to remove them. Spencer looked at it a second longer before calling out "Lilo?"

His friend moved quickly up to his side and dropped down to one knee. "Boss?"

Spencer turned the cuff just enough that the keyhole pointed towards Lilo. "Do you think you could manage this, or would it be a bit too delicate of work?"

"I should be able to manage it." Lilo looked up at the teen who was watching them intently. "If you're okay with it, I'll go ahead and try to unlock this. There's a small chance, though, that it'll shock you. I won't do this unless you're okay with that."

The teen didn't even hesitate. "Go for it. Anything to get this damn thing off of me."

Spencer held the cuff in place as Lilo drew in a deep breath and focused. The tattoo closest to his right wrist, a simple tribal band, slowly drew out of his skin until there was a black ball of ink floating in the air in front of him. Once he had it, he moved it down, bringing it to the small hole on the cuff. Spencer watched as the ink slid in. At the same time, he heard Tanya's low voice behind him, explaining to Wolverine and Gambit, "His mutation lets him control ink. He can manipulate it in quite a lot of ways, but one of the things he can do is make it hard if he needs to. By putting the ink in the keyhole, he can harden it in just the right spots and then use it to act as the regular key and twist the lock. In theory, at least."

Yeah, well, that theory better work. It was the only way that Spencer could see at the moment to get the anklets off.

The whole room seemed to be holding its breath. Everyone was watching as Lilo focused intently on what he was doing. Then all of a sudden his expression cleared and one of his rare, true smiles spread over his lips. A soft click echoed in the air and the anklet opened and dropped down to the floor. Lilo's grin was echoed on quite a few faces around him. Spencer reached out and caught Lilo's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Fantastic work. Way to go, Lee."

Just those simple words of praise had his friend lighting up a bit more. "Thanks."

After that, Lilo moved his way around the room, going from person to person and unhooking each of their anklets. It was just when he had finished the last one that Spencer saw Wolverine gathering them up and passing them to Gambit, who put them into a bag. Wolverine caught Spencer watching him and he lifted his chin a little. "We'll take these back with us and make sure they're disposed of. The last thing we want is for them to fall into the wrong hands."

Spencer saw Tanya start to protest and Tomas reach out to discreetly quiet her and he was grateful for that. He met Wolverine's eye and nodded at him. "We appreciate that, Wolverine. Thank you." Spencer didn't mention the first cuff, the one that he had discreetly handed back to Tomas when everyone's attention had been on Lilo while the man had moved over to start removing the second cuff. No one had seen it and Spencer wasn't going to let them know. He'd take the cuff back with him where he could get a better look at it and understand better what it did and how it worked. It obviously inhibited a mutant's powers somehow. They needed to understand more about it.

Now that all the anklets were removed and everyone was free, it was time to start figuring out what to do from here. Spencer moved off to the side of the room and leaned against the wall there. He watched as his friends moved amongst the teens, talking here and there, helping them get comfortable, calming them down. Wolverine was doing the same thing now, talking with one of the young girls who seemed to relax a little in his presence. But Gambit had broken away from the others and he was strolling over towards Spencer with that hip-rolling walk that Spencer had noticed and appreciated earlier. The Cajun came up and stopped at his side, leaning against the wall beside him. He hooked his thumbs in his pockets and slouched against the wall in a posture that was far too sexual for Spencer's peace of mind, and yet looked completely natural. "Y' got one hell of a team here, _homme_." Gambit complimented him.

A smile ghosted across Spencer's face. "Yes, I do. They're good people."

"_Oui_, Gambit sees dat. Y' do good work t'gether." He turned a little more towards Spencer, putting his whole attention on him, and a corner of his mouth curved up. "Been hearing lots about y' lately. Y' got quite de reputation. Gambit was curious bout de _homme_ dat seems to inspire so much loyalty, even from people dat barely know him."

Embarrassment had Spencer looking away and back out over the room. He was once again grateful for the fur that hid his blush. "I'm nothing special." He insisted. "I'm just someone that's trying to help, that's all."

"Kind _and_ modest." Gambit gave a low, husky chuckle. "Y'r not'ing like what Gambit expected. No one mentioned dis humble side of y'." He tipped his head and slid his sunglasses down his nose and Spencer saw those slightly glowing eyes as they gave him a once over that Spencer swore he could _feel_. "Dey didn't mention how _beau_ y' are, either."

_Beau_…Spencer's brain translated it and his mouth actually dropped open a bit with surprise. Beautiful? Gambit was telling him that he was _beautiful_? While he was like this? Spencer couldn't help but look down at himself to check to make sure he was still in feline form. Not that his human form was one to be considered good-looking, but he could at least accept that. People had different views on beauty. But, no, he was still feline. Gambit actually thought this form was beautiful? No one, _no one_, had ever called him beautiful when like this. Not in the sense that Gambit was saying it. Tanya had told him he was beautiful, but that was one friend to another, someone trying to make him feel better about looking this way. Not even the perverts that Spencer had met who wanted to use him to fuel their animal-fantasies had ever really called him beautiful. They'd been more attracted to the animal than the man, anyways.

His shock was obvious on his face and it served to amuse Gambit. He let out another of those husky chuckles. "Are y' blushing under dat fur dere, Stalker?"

"No!" Spencer insisted immediately. Of course, he was.

"Y' are! Aint no one ever complimented y' b'fore?"

Before he could stop it, a snort slipped free. Spencer looked down at himself and then up at Gambit. With one hand he gestured towards himself. "Like this? You must be joking. Most people tend to prefer someone a little more _human_." The bitter words held far more emotion and truth to them than Spencer had intended. He saw surprise flash over Gambit's face, along with something that looked like sorrow, and he cursed himself for letting that much slip. Quickly he tried to change the subject. "We need to focus on what's important right now. Everyone I see in here is someone local. We need to get them looked at to make sure they're okay and then we need to get them home to their families."

The last part of what he'd said had been spoken loud enough that a few of the people nearby heard him. One of the teens looked up at him and there was hope bright on her face. "We can go home?"

Spencer looked down at her and smiled gently. "We're going to take you all down to the hospital to get looked at, first, but if you all give me the information I can call your families for you and have them meet you there." He saw the protests start to rise and hurried to speak before they could. "I know you don't want to be poked and prodded by doctors, but we need to make sure you're okay and the exams need to be on records. Your families reported you missing and the police have been searching for you. We've got to do this right so we can get it all out of the way and you can be free to go home."

"What if they come for us at the hospital?" One of the boys called out.

"We'll be there." Spencer said firmly. He looked around at each one of the teens to make sure that they all understood how serious he was. They were all old enough to know the truth here; he wasn't going to sugarcoat it or hide things from them. "The people that took you, they're a large group, and there is very much a chance that they might try to come back. I'm telling you this because you deserve to know what you're up against. But we're not going to just abandon you guys here. There's a group of people that are going to meet us at the hospital. They're part of a shelter system here and they're going to help you and your families disappear."

"The cops are gonna have a lot of questions." Wolverine pointed out. "What do you plan on telling them?"

"Actually, that's easy." Spencer said. "They haven't seen myself or Tomas yet. We'll go with everyone and explain to the officers what we did. By the time they get to the facility, the men will be gone, as will any evidence, but that's their problem now, not mine."

"It aint just cops here." Wolverine pointed out. He'd risen to his feet and was standing almost protectively over the girl below him. "There's Feds here."

A ghost of a smile graced Spencer's lips. "I know. They won't cause any trouble." He assured them. He had to remind himself that these two didn't know that Spencer was Stalker or that he had a connection to the BAU. At least, he didn't think they did. There was no telling just how much the two men really knew. He was willing to bet it was quite a bit more than they were letting on.

Now that the decision had been made on what to do, it was time to put it into action. Spencer discovered that Tomas and Lilo had been the ones to speak to the shelter and prepare this place just in case they found the victims and needed a way out. They'd also stored two vans here in the garage, just in case. That was where they were all moving towards now. Spencer watched as his friends helped load all of the teens inside. While they handled that, he turned to handle the two X-Men. "I take it you two won't be coming with us?"

"Better not to." Gambit said with a smirk. "X-Men aint exactly popular with law enforcement, y'know?"

"Indeed." That was a bit of an understatement. Straightening up a little, Spencer held out a hand to them, something that he didn't often do. "Well, Wolverine, Gambit, let me say thank you. You two were a wonderful help."

Humor danced over Wolverine's face. He snorted and shook his head once he let go of Spencer's hand. "Call me Logan. I figure a guy fights beside me, he can at least call me by my name."

Spencer blinked a few times with surprise. That surprise grew when Gambit took his offered hand and clasped it between his instead of shaking it, stroking one hand lightly over the back of Spencer's hand, and he said "An y' can call me Remy, cher."

The fact that they were giving him their real names was quite a sign of trust in the mutant world. Most people much preferred to go by their codenames. Considering that these two were X-Men, Spencer had been sure that they'd be even more private than most. So to have them give out their real names was the equivalent of extending a hand of trust and friendship. What else could Spencer do but accept it and offer his own small trust in return? "Then please, feel free to call me Spencer."

"Spencer." Remy tried out his name and Spencer shivered at how it seemed to just roll off that smooth tongue.

From over by the vans, someone called out "Stalker!" and he turned to look. A glance showed him that everyone was loaded into the vans and they were waiting for him. He gave Wolverine and Gambit—Logan and Remy—one last smile and a quick "Goodbye!" and then he hurried over to the open door on the closest van and climbed inside. He watched out the window while they pulled away and thought to himself that he had made two more friends and allies, and really, despite how little dealings he had with the X-Men, these two at least weren't that bad.

* * *

It had been a long time since 'Stalker' had walked openly around in public. Usually when he made a public appearance, it was in careful concealment in special clothes. Not barefoot, wearing just a pair of cargo pants and a tank top. He'd gotten so used to covering up or changing back to his other form when he was going to be around other people that he'd almost forgotten just how badly people could react to the sight of him. He got a rude reminder when they first arrived at the hospital and someone sitting in the waiting room actually _screamed_ at the sight of him.

Things didn't get any better from there. Spencer and his friends helped the teenagers to get settled into their rooms and connected back with their parents in just enough time for the police and the BAU team to finally show up. He'd known that this meeting wasn't going to go that well. It was why he'd left Tanya, Lilo and Tomas all back with the teens, telling them to make sure that the staff truly was being respectful and that everyone was safe until the shelter teams could show up, and he went out to meet with the officers on his own. Still, knowing something was going to go badly and actually going through it were two totally different things. Nothing could've made it easier for Spencer when he stepped out into the waiting room and every cop in the room pulled their weapon.

There were quite a few screams around them and panic from civilians as they all rushed to get out of the way. Spencer stood in the middle of the waiting room and held his hands up in hopes of showing that he was peaceful. "Hands behind your head and get down on your knees!" One of the officers shouted at him.

Amidst the shouts and panic, Spencer slowly lowered himself down onto one knee and then onto the other. "Let's just everyone stay calm here." He told them as he put his hands behind his head. "I don't want any trouble. Let's just all stay calm."

"Quiet!" An officer snapped at him. "Just be quiet and don't you move!"

Spencer fought back the urge that was burning in him to leap up and clear himself a path to the door. It went against every instinct he had to just kneel here with all these guns pointed his direction. But salvation came from a surprising quarter. The BAU team pushed forward and it wasn't Derek who leapt out to Spencer's defense—it was _Aaron_. The unit chief marched through the crowd and came up to stand about a foot in front of Spencer, his eyes traveling hotly around the room. "All of you, lower your weapons, now!"

"You heard him. Lower your weapons!" Dave called out.

The BAU team gathered in a perfect circle around Spencer. They were sheltering him. They were actually protecting him with their bodies.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Derek demanded. He stood closest to Spencer and he actually had his hand resting on his own weapon like he was ready to pull it if it became necessary. "You heard what the nurses said! All the victims say this is the guy that _rescued_ them."

"He probably scared em into say that." Someone snarled out. Spencer wasn't sure who; he didn't recognize the voice.

"Look at it!" Another voice said. Their derision was obvious. "You think that _thing_ is actually here to _help_?"

It? Thing? Spencer couldn't help how he flinched ever so slightly at those words. _No matter how many times I hear those, they still manage to sting._

"I think that _he_ may have saved quite a few lives and I think we should all have the decency to actually ask him questions about what happened instead of forcing him down to his knees at gunpoint." Dave snapped.

There was no way for Spencer to see what was going on from his sheltered position. But he could tell when things changed because the bodies around him relaxed. Then Derek was turning and he reached down, catching hold of Spencer's elbow. "Come on…Stalker." A slight hesitation showed that he'd almost forgotten to use Spencer's other name. Spencer was grateful that he remembered at the last minute. A slip right now could have serious repercussions.

Derek helped him to his feet and then kept his hand on Spencer's elbow to steer him out of the waiting room and off into another room. It was a patient room that was, thankfully, empty. Both beds were empty and Spencer's sensitive nose caught the strong scent of cleaner in the air that was underlain by countless other smells that he associated with a hospital and that had him ruing his enhanced scent. He wrinkled his nose and tried to breathe carefully as he made a beeline for the window. He gratefully opened the window wide and drew in a breath of clean air as he listened to the others come into the room. By the time the door was being shut behind them, Spencer felt steady once more.

When he turned around, he saw that all of the BAU team was there—that included the new guy, Justin. The sight of him had Spencer's lip curling up a little and his ears flattening back towards his head just the slightest bit. Great. Just, great. Spencer hadn't forgotten their argument back at the police station; Justin had made his opinion of mutants rather clear then. That was an attitude that Spencer really didn't want to have to deal with. Besides, Justin's presence meant that Spencer had to continue to be 'Stalker' here, not Spencer.

Well, unless he wanted to give away his secret, he was going to have to be very careful here. The man was a profiler, a trained observer, and Spencer didn't need to give himself away. Thankfully his voice was just a little different like this. Tanya always said that he 'rumbled and purred'. "You get this sort of rumble or growl to your words sometimes, or a slight purr at other times. It all depends on your mood, I think." She'd told him more than once. He was going to be counting on that now. "Thanks for your help out there." He said with a half-smile. He chose his words carefully, trying to watch his speech patterns. For the benefit of Justin and Aaron—who also didn't know who Spencer was in this form, but who Spencer knew he had no hopes of fooling—he introduced himself. "I'm Stalker and I really appreciate what you did out there. I wasn't looking forward to being arrested."

"I'm sure they wouldn't have actually arrested you." Justin said. Something in his voice said that he didn't quite believe his own words, though.

Spencer snorted out a laugh. He sat down on the arm of the chair nearest the window and folded his arms over his chest. Behind him, his tail gave a lazy twitch. "They most definitely would've arrested me, agent. If I'd dared to move wrong in that moment they would've shot me without hesitation and suffered nothing for it later. All they would've had to do was claim they felt threatened by me and no one would've faulted them for their reaction." The worst part was, it was true. Spencer had seen situations like that far too often to not recognize it. A little devil inside of Spencer had him staring right at Aaron and saying "Prejudice can cause the most rational of people to do crazy things."

Realization dawned brightly in Aaron's eyes. A multitude of other emotions cascaded through those dark depths before his expression settled onto that cold and closed off one that he had worn around Spencer ever since discovering he was a mutant. The mask that let nothing inside show through.

An ache built around Spencer's heart. To cover it up, he looked over to the others, to his friends. Derek, Dave, Emily, JJ. They were all watching him with both sympathy and understanding. It was to them that he directed the rest of his words. That was the only way he was really going to get through this whole thing. "I'll answer any questions that you have, agents."

"Why don't you start with telling us how exactly you found these victims?" Aaron said coldly.

Spencer had been prepared for that question and it was one that he was going to answer very carefully. He didn't want to have to lie to them but he couldn't risk telling them the truth with Justin in here. "Very carefully." He said dryly. Before anyone could say anything, he blew out a breath and brought his voice back to normal. "I stopped looking at the _who_ and looked at the _where_ instead. It was obvious the group doing this was still around taking kids and that meant that they'd have to store the others somewhere. So with a little bit of help, I figured out where they were holding the kids. Then my friends and I went and got them out."

"You just went and got them out." Justin repeated dubiously. "Just like that?"

"What was I supposed to do, leave them there?" Spencer asked.

"You should've alerted the authorities instead of taking it upon yourself to go in there and play hero." Aaron said sharply.

A sharp retort sat on the tip of Spencer's tongue. Only with supreme will did he manage to keep it locked behind his teeth. He drew in a deep breath and blew it out carefully. The pain and heartache he'd felt around Aaron lately had seemed to suddenly vanish. In its place was a surprising amount of anger. How dare Aaron accuse him of going to play hero? He knew Spencer better than that! Just because he was a mutant didn't mean that everything about him had changed like Aaron seemed to be thinking. Spencer got a stranglehold on his anger and pushed it down. When he spoke, there was a faint growl underlying his words that spoke of his annoyance and his fight to keep it under control. "What's done is done. Being angry about it now won't change what we did. What matters now is that the victims are back safely." Pushing up off the chair, he adjusted the bottom of his shirt as he straightened up. Sharp amber eyes flashed with the temper he was working on keeping inside. "I'll write down the location where we extracted them from. I doubt you'll find anything once the crew finishes cleaning up, but that's not my problem anymore. If you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of before I have to head back home."

When he passed by Aaron, his former unit chief reached out and caught his arm, stopping him in his tracks. With his instincts still on high alert and his temper under the surface, it was a close call; he almost reacted defensively. That wouldn't have been pretty. Instead, his body locked down tight and his eyes hardened as they lifted. Aaron met him stare for stare. "We're not done asking questions yet, _Stalker_."

"But I'm done answering them." Spencer hissed. He leaned in, absurdly satisfied by the way that Aaron leaned back from him. "You have no legal reason to hold me here, _Agent Hotchner_."

Aaron stared at him for a moment, but when he spoke again it wasn't to Spencer. It was to Justin. "Agent Justin, I'd like you to go speak with the nurses and find out how soon we can get in to see our victims."

"Sir?" Justin said in a hesitant voice.

Never breaking eye contact with Spencer, Aaron snapped out "Now"

Out of the corner of his eye, Spencer saw JJ exchange a speaking look with Derek before turning and ushering Justin out of the room. She went with him, quietly shutting the door behind her. Most likely she was going to make sure that he didn't come back in here before it was clear. That left Emily, Dave and Derek here watching as Spencer and Aaron squared off. Aaron's hand was still wrapped around Spencer's arm, keeping him in place. His eyes were no longer cold; Spencer's temper had sparked his own and they were now hot and sharp. "I want some answers, Reid."

"I don't report to you anymore." Spencer snarled. "Now _let go of my arm_."

"Or what?" Aaron demanded.

The cougar in Spencer wanted to scream at that blatant challenge. The only thing that stayed Spencer's hand was his long ago acceptance of Aaron as higher in the pack than him. That fact still hadn't fully changed inside of him. At the moment, it was the only thing that kept him from giving in to the beast inside of him that demanded he show the man in front of him just who was the dominant one here. He couldn't keep his body from reacting completely, though. His ears flattened to his head and he snarled.

That was apparently the limit for the rest of the room. The other three agents moved forward quickly. They were smart about the way they did it, too. Dave and Derek went to Aaron, one pulling him back while the other reached to break his grip on Spencer's arm, and Emily came up and put herself directly in front of Spencer. She reached up and placed her palms flat on his chest, not pushing him, just resting them there. "Reid, come on now, look here at me. He's not worth it. He's not worth losing your temper over. Just take a deep breath and calm down."

"You need to back off, Aaron." Dave was saying nearby. "Just back off and give him a little space."

"He's right man." Derek agreed in that steady voice of his. "Challenging a feral like that is a quick way to get yourself in a lot more trouble than you want to be in. Reid's got damn good control compared to most I've seen or met, but I'd rather not test how much, all right?"

"Are you telling me you're all okay with this?" Aaron demanded, spinning towards his long-time friend. "You're perfectly fine with him going out and playing vigilante hero?"

Dave's answer surprised both Aaron and Spencer. "No, I'm not." He said. "But unlike you, I'm willing to calmly ask him for an explanation, just as I'm sure he's got a good reason for it. The Reid we all know isn't a rash guy. He thinks things through. You know that about him, Aaron. That hasn't changed just because you know he's a mutant."

"How do I know what someone like him is capable of?"

Those rash words were like a spark to kindling. Spencer's pain and anger roared to life and burned inside of him. "Someone like me?" he snarled out. Fury shook his whole frame. If it wasn't for Emily still standing in front of him, he would've been right over there in Aaron's face. But he stayed where he was, held back by her trusting hands on him, unable to do anything that might accidentally cause her harm. He had to settle for glaring over her shoulder at a man he had once respected and looked up to. The bitterness of that lost relationship colored his words. "Just who do you think I am, Hotch? How much do you think I've changed? Dammit, you _know me_!"

The swear word from someone who rarely ever swore was enough to throw them all.

Spencer didn't care about their shock. His eyes were locked onto Aaron and he was finally letting out all the things that had been burning inside of him ever since Aaron had walked out of that office so coldly and left Spencer standing there, broken inside. "I spent almost ten years working on that team with you. I went into dangerous situations with you and backed you up. I've saved your life! But all of that suddenly means nothing just because you find out I can change my looks? Just because I can transform into _this_, suddenly you treat me like I'm worse than dirt on the bottom of your shoe. Why? I'm still the same person I was before! I'm still the same person who had your back, who worked at your side. I'm the same kid who couldn't figure out how to shoot a gun and who liked to perform physics magic in the bullpen. I'm still the same guy that you let teach your son how to perform magic tricks. That's still me, Hotch!"

Too agitated to be still, Spencer yanked backwards from Emily's hands, pacing over to the window. He curled his hands into fists to keep from lashing out at the wall or something. When he spun back around, his expression was blazing, striking them all silent. "Yes, I admit it, I went after this group without telling you. I even did it intentionally. Do you know why? Do you even care?" He didn't give anyone time to answer him, he just kept going, the words pouring from him. "The group that took these people wouldn't hesitate to kill off their merchandise if they felt that cops for FBI were getting too close. They would've murdered every single one of them without hesitation and then packed up and moved on before you could even get close to them. And if they felt that you knew too much, if they thought there was a risk you might know more than was safe, they wouldn't have hesitated to have you killed, either. So pardon me if I didn't want to watch everyone around me die for this. I know you think I'm nothing more than a mindless animal, but even animals protect their family. Now, if you don't mind, I've a flight to catch. Have a safe flight back home." And without another word, he turned on his heel and marched out of the room. The door shut behind him with a crack like a gunshot.

He never saw the stunned look on Aaron's face, or the way the man half lifted one hand as if to call him back.

* * *

_Well, a whole lot happened in that chapter, didn't it? I hope y'all liked it! This was the first mission I've ever written out :) Let me know what you think!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thanks everyone so very much for all your comments :) You guys really help keep me motivated on this. You're wonderful! Here's the next chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it :) It was interesting to write, a little difficult at times, but it really moves us forward I think and brings the X-Men back into the picture. Let me know what you think, sugar bees!_

* * *

Despite the positive ending to their case, Spencer was almost completely silent for their flight home. He was quiet and withdrawn in a way that his friends recognized and knew better than to try to disturb him from. When he got like this it was usually best to just let him work through the problem that was in his head. None of them were positive about what exactly the problem was, though they had a good idea. It hadn't escaped their notice that Spencer had been like this ever since coming back from dealing with the cops and the BAU team. He'd been perfectly respectful to the victims and their families and he'd made sure that they were all reunited and that the shelter team was there to take things over, and then he'd gathered up his friends and announced they were going home. No one questioned it. They'd gone back to the hotel, where Spencer had changed his clothes and changed back to human form, and then they'd set out for the airport.

The flight from Eugene to Philadelphia was around seven hours, giving Spencer plenty of time to think about things. For the first little while the only thing that seemed to play in his mind was the argument with Aaron. Getting mad like that and yelling at someone, especially someone he had always looked up to, was not Spencer's style. He didn't like getting angry with those he cared about. He didn't really like getting angry at all—especially as Stalker. When he got angry in human form, his mouth was his weapon of choice and he'd been told it was a deadly one. He could verbally tear someone apart and leave them stunned. Knowing the power of words, Spencer tried to make sure he didn't get in situations where that happened. But when he got angry in feline form, as Stalker, it was much more dangerous. Not only did he have his mouth as a weapon, he also had sharp teeth, a muscled and powerful body, and claws.

Yelling at Aaron the way that he had probably hadn't done him any good whatsoever. There was more than just a simple prejudice between them; Spencer was too good a profiler not to realize that. He knew that there had to be something in Aaron's life that had made him leery of mutants. He also knew that for Aaron, to whom honesty and trust were so very important, keeping something as big as this mutant ability a secret was an extreme act of betrayal. He'd taken Spencer under his wing, most especially after Gideon had left them, and to find this out had to have cut deep.

This antagonism between them couldn't continue on much more. Not only was it a strain on the both of them, it was a strain on their friends who were trapped in the middle. Spencer knew that feeling all too well. He understood what it was like to be the person trapped between two warring people and how it could rip you apart inside. With him, it had been his parents. He couldn't cause that same sensation to his friends. He needed to figure out a way to bring this thing between him and Aaron to a head before it caused any serious damage. They'd come close to blows this evening; he couldn't let that happen again. But he wasn't going to be able to fix it tonight. Not while he was still this angry.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind left room for the other thoughts to push forward. The first thing that came through was, unsurprisingly, the two X-Men. Spencer could admit to himself that they'd made quite the impression on him. They'd willingly worked with a group of people they didn't know, they'd accepted Spencer's leadership in a display of trust that still staggered him, and they'd been damn good at what they did.

Logan wasn't quite what he'd expected. Not after hearing all the stories about The Wolverine. He was quite a bit calmer than some of the ferals that Spencer had met over the years. Oh, sure, he could tell that the man was just as dangerous as rumors suggested, and he wasn't someone that Spencer would want to cross. Ever. He was also gruff, just like people said, and he did sort of have this expression that left him looking annoyed most of the time. But there'd also been honest humor in his eyes when he looked at Remy, as well as obvious affection, and around the victims he'd showed quite a lot of gentleness. He'd set quite a few of them at ease.

So had Remy. Whereas Logan looked serious and tended to be a bit growly, Remy was his polar opposite. The man smiled almost constantly, flirted as easy as breathing, and threw himself into everything he did with gusto. In so many ways the two were like night and day, even in their looks. Yet it only seemed to help them fit together perfectly.

Profiling people was a bit of a habit after all these years and he hadn't been able to help profiling the two a bit. Not much, just enough to get an impression of them and how they worked together, and enough to give him a clue as to what type of people they might be. The two had worked with each other with an ease that suggested not just a close working relationship, but a close friendship. He'd bet it was just a friendship, too. Nothing more. There'd been nothing sexual between them that he could see and he hadn't scented anything on them that would suggest they were even attracted to one another. Unlike what he'd scented most of the time that Remy had looked _his_ direction.

That still baffled Spencer. He couldn't believe it, yet there was no way he could deny it, either. His nose didn't lie. If it had just been the flirting or the teasing comments, it would've been easy for Spencer to just ignore it all. But each time Remy had flirted, each time he'd taken a moment to look Spencer over or watch him—and Spencer had noticed just how often that had happened in their short time together—the man's scent had changed, turning just a little spicier in a way that made Spencer's mouth water.

Spencer wasn't used to someone being attracted to him when he was a feline. Who wanted a partner who had a _tail_? Or one who was covered in fur? It just didn't make any sense. Not unless this guy was one of those people who were into animals, really into them. He hadn't thought so before. But, maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe this Remy really was one of those strange animal-perverts who were turned on by the idea of doing what they considered a _wild animal_. If that was the case then Spencer wanted nothing to do with him.

Firmly pushing Remy and any thoughts of him out of his mind, Spencer snuggled down into his seat. Secure in the knowledge that his friends were sitting around him and they would let no one bother him, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Spencer and his team weren't the only ones that were heading home. Logan and Remy were on their way home as well. They hadn't found their girl yet—unfortunately, she hadn't been in the batch of victims they'd helped rescue—but they had information now. Important information. Logan had been the one to suggest that they call in for a ride home and Remy had agreed. What they'd learned changed quite a bit for them. They needed to go back home, regroup, and change their strategy. They knew who they were up against now and that changed everything.

There was no surprise that Scott was the one to fly out and get them. What was surprising was that the only person he brought with him was Jean. Scott waited until they were in the Bird and were up in the air before saying "Okay, what is it? You guys said you found out some information and you weren't comfortable talking about it on the phone."

"Have you found her?" Jean asked quickly.

Logan shook his head. "Not yet. But we're pretty we know the people responsible."

"Dis is a big shit storm y' done tossed us into, Fearless." Remy chimed in. He was reclining back in his seat, his ankle crossed over his knee and a deck of cards in his hands. He shuffled them absently, without even having to look at what he was doing, the repetitive motion of the shuffling steadying him. "Remy told y' dese people was pros. He warned y'."

"The trail led us to this group in Eugene." In short, simple sentences, Logan summed up everything that had happened since their arrival in Eugene. He brought up Stalker, though he and Remy had debated long and hard about just how much they were willing to say about that man. They'd both agreed that his name, his real name, was something they'd keep to themselves.

When Logan finished summing up their trip, Remy took over the story. "We caught a look at de _hommes_ dere dat were patrolling de place." As he was talking he split the deck and folded it back into the whole, in his right hand. He hands started to move faster in agitation as he gave them the bad news. "It was de Orion Corporation. Dey was de security surrounding de storage place."

A low stream of curses came from Scott. For once, Jean didn't even call him on it. She looked close to swearing, too.

The Orion Corporation was a large security firm that the X-Men had been keeping tabs on for quite a while now. They were a pretty bad group that were suspected of supporting some anti-mutant groups and who were connected to other groups that had been known to do genetic testing on mutants. They also had a reputation as mercenaries that had made them a bit too dangerous to take on before. If they were involved in mutant trafficking, too, it was bad. Really bad.

"Are you sure they're involved in the actual trafficking and weren't just hired by someone else to guard the place?" Scott asked.

Remy fielded that answer. He shook his head and sent the whole deck flying in an arc from left hand to right. "_Non_. Stalker and his team, dey knew dis group. It wasn't de first time dey'd come across dem. Dey way dey were about it…Remy'd bet dey been hunting dese _connards_ fo' a while. An word around is dat Stalker's team only hunts traffickers."

"And you're sure about this Stalker and his team?" Jean turned around in her seat to look at them as she asked her question. "I've never even heard of them before."

"I have." Scott surprised them all with that. He must've felt it because he shrugged one shoulder. "Just a whisper here and there. Honestly, I'd begun to wonder if they were just a story or something. I've never been able to find out anything on them."

"Dey're real." Remy said, slapping the deck of cards into a stack in one hand as if to emphasize his point.

"They're good, too." Logan added in gruffly. There was a note to his voice, this almost-rumble, and it had Remy wanting to smile. He wasn't the only one who had come to like the team.

"Did you guys get a way to contact them?" Scott asked. "We don't have anything about the trafficking side of things for Orion."

Logan shook his head. "They didn't offer and we didn't ask. Groups like that, you don't just up and ask those kinds of questions. He's a cautious one who's he's protective of his people an he aint gonna risk them by just handing out information."

"He's de kind of contact y' take de time to court." Remy said with a smirk. He caught Logan's eye and winked, making the feral chuckle. Their silent byplay went unnoticed by the other two. Smothering his smile, Remy looked back to Scott. "Don't worry, Scotty. We keep going down dis path, we'll see dem again." And the prospect of that had Remy's smile finally breaking free just the slightest bit. He definitely wouldn't mind running into Stalker and his team again. He thought of those glowing amber eyes and that smile that had been strangely shy at some points and sharply dangerous at others and he gave a little shiver. No, he wouldn't mind at all.

* * *

Trying to send his team members home to rest before going to the office had proved futile. None of them wanted to go get some sleep. Spencer knew how to pick and choose his battles and he let this one go, promising himself that he would pick it up later if he felt the need. For now, he and his friends were just arriving back at the office and they were ready to get to work.

They were greeted by a cheerful Abigail at the front desk when they came inside. She smiled broadly at them all and gave a happy "Hi, Boss! Hi, guys!" to them all. No matter what else was going on, none of them could resist smiling at the perky blond, and they all gave her a smile and a greeting as they came in. A little further in, McKenna was waiting against one wall. She saw Spencer and moved forward, a clipboard with a stack of things on it held in her hands. She pulled up a few slips first and held them out to Spencer as she fell into step beside him. "Here are your phone messages, Boss. I put the important ones on top and the least important to the bottom."

"Phone messages?" He looked down at the slips and counted six. "I have phone messages? Already?" He looked through them and saw one from a contact at the Bureau, one from his friend in Human Trafficking, two from outside contacts, and two from contractors looking for payment.

"Mm hm. There also a consultation request for you to look at." She handed that folder to him next. Then she laid her hand over the remaining stack of folders on her clipboard. "I'm also gathering up everything we have on the Orion Corporation and getting it set up in the conference room for you and everyone. Kasey's already in there waiting with his laptop. I've also got coffee brewing. I started it as soon as you guys pulled up, so it should be just about ready."

Her brisk efficiency left Spencer speechless for a moment. Then he couldn't help it; he smiled broadly at her. "You are absolutely wonderful, McKenna. Thank you."

A pleased flush filled her cheeks. "Thank you."

Everyone was waiting for them when they arrived at the conference room. The only person not in there was Abigail and that was because she was still manning the front desk for the next half hour until they closed. But Spencer found the others in here and working. His team, already doing their jobs. Kasey was sitting at the long mahogany table they had, one foot drawn up to rest on the seat and his arms up on either side of his knee to type away at the laptop he had on the table. Darcy was at the board by the wall, hanging up a map of the United States while Sean slipped around her to gather up the stack of files at her side and start laying them out in front of each chair at the table. Liam and Zac were sitting together opposite Kasey at the table, their heads together as they discussed something in a file between them. At the entrance of Spencer and the others, everyone looked up with warm and bright greetings on their faces, each calling out their own hello.

Spencer set down the things that McKenna had given him, as well as his bag, on the conference table. His eyes were already fixed on the map that Darcy was now pushing little pins into. "Which part are you mapping out?" He asked her as he joined her by the board.

She tapped a finger against a piece of paper on the table by her, one that he hadn't seen before. "I'm putting up blue pins for all the places we have confirmed that they took kids from. Then I've got red pins to mark the missing kids that fit the criteria but that we don't know who took them yet."

"Do we have any other colors?" He asked.

She gestured to a little tub next that had dividers in it to separate multiple pushpins. There were six different colors in there. Spencer smiled at that. "Perfect." Pulling out a black pin, he placed one in Seattle and then reached down for another. "The black can mark their known offices. The legal ones."

Just like that, Spencer dove right in, and so did the others. Lilo and Tomas were sitting side by side at the table now, looking over the files that Sean had laid out, and Tanya had taken a seat beside Kasey to lean over and look at what he was doing on the laptop. The room was a low buzz of multiple conversations for a few minutes as everyone seamlessly joined together to start their work. When Spencer and Darcy finished their map, the two came over and joined the table. It didn't escape Spencer's notice that his stuff had been moved a little and the only spot at the table open to him was at the head. He shook his head over it but didn't say anything.

Taking his seat, he looked around the table at everyone. At his people. This was the first time that they'd be able to hold a proper meeting like this. One that wasn't inside of someone's kitchen, or packed into Spencer's apartment, or sprawled out around Tanya's kitchen table. They had a proper conference room with a table big enough for them all plus extra space for if their group ever grew. They had monitors on the wall that Kasey could bring things up onto and boards to pin things to against the wall. They had everything they needed, everything that made them a real business, finally. A feeling of pride welled up in Spencer's chest. He looked at the familiar faces, watching as they all turned towards him, and the pride grew. Darcy, Lilo, Tomas, Tanya, Kasey, Zac, Liam, McKenna, Sean, and even Abigail had joined them now that work hours had just wrapped up. His people. His team.

Spencer smiled at them all and took a deep breath. "Okay, everyone. Let's see what we've got."

* * *

A week later the team at Catamount Consulting was once more gathered in their conference room. It was evening time, so the building was shut down and locked up, all except for this room. They had the blinds drawn tight so no one could see in and all their information was once more spread out around them. Files, maps, pictures, the works. And they had just about as much information as they'd had a week ago.

The Orion Corporation—or just Orion, as they'd taken to calling them—seemed to have gone underground.

"We knew saving that group was a risk." Tanya pointed out. She sat back in her chair and pressed the cap of her pen against her bottom lip.

"It played our hand." Darcy said.

A general murmur of agreement ran around the table. "They know we're after them, now." Kasey said. "You can believe they're looking into us as hard as we're trying to look into them. Only thing is, they've got resources we don't."

Liam held up a hand, drawing eyes. "But we have something that they do not. We have a reputation of silence. While they may find out some about us, there is only so much about us that is out there. They will be stonewalled just as we are."

"Small consolation, that." Zac said dryly. He was leaned back in his chair, his cup of coffee held in one hand. He was watching Spencer, who was standing almost motionless in front of the map. "You see something over there, Boss man?"

It took a second for Spencer to answer. He was wrapped up in thought and his brain didn't register right away that someone was talking to him. It wasn't until the question was repeated slightly louder than before that he actually heard it. He didn't even turn around once he did hear it, though. His eyes kept running over the map while he answered. "Nothing new, no. Just…looking at what we have. They've got a definite route here, running west to east. The abductions follow that route perfectly, with only small side trips out to other towns along the way."

"What makes you say west to east? Why not east to west?" Lilo asked, his tone curious.

"Times." Spencer lifted a finger, tracing the route between the markers. "The earliest one we know of starts over here, in Idaho, and then they spread out this way. Next month is Montana, in two different towns, and then over to South Dakota and Minnesota. Then Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio. They've come closer and closer our direction. It'll be Pennsylvania or New York next."

McKenna stepped up to Spencer's side and held out a cup of coffee to him that he took gratefully. "But we haven't heard anything about anyone in PA yet." She said.

He took a sip off his coffee and gave a small hum of pleasure at the flavor. "Thank you." He smiled at her and got one in return. Then he looked back at the map once more and his mind turned back to work. "No, we haven't heard anything yet, but I've got a few extra people out looking. I called in a few favors. Hopefully, we'll hear something tonight or tomorrow, even if it's just information on another shipment."

"We can't keep going after just their shipments." Sean hissed quietly.

His words earned him a scowl from Darcy. "We can't just ignore it when there are people we can save. Or would you rather we just leave them there?"

Beside her, Lilo put a calming hand on her arm, keeping her in her seat. "That's not what he's saying, Darce." He murmured lightly to his partner.

"Well then what the hell did he mean?" She demanded. "Cause it sounds like he wants us to forget about recovering shipments."

This had the potential to turn into one hell of a fight. Before it could get there, Spencer turned around and made his way back to the table, quickly cutting into the conversation. "You're right, Sean." His words worked effectively to cut off anything else that had been about to be said. Darcy's eyes snapped over to him and her mouth dropped open. He held his free hand up to her in a gesture for silence. "He is, Darcy. He's not saying that we shouldn't help people; he's saying that continuing to rescue shipments isn't going to get us anywhere. Am I right, Sean?"

"Exactly, Boss." Sean agreed complacently.

"And you're right." Taking his seat, Spencer set his mug on the table and cradled it between his hands to warm them. His eyes drifted around the table. "We need to figure out a way to stop them completely, not just ruin their shipments. If we continue on the way we are, all we're going to succeed in doing is pissing them off and making ourselves a bigger target. We need to figure out a way to take them down completely, not just in little pieces like this. _But_," He stressed that last word when he saw more than a few protests building. When he was sure it was going to stay silent, he continued. "But that doesn't mean that we stop what we're doing now. Whether it makes a target of me or not, I refuse to stand by idly when I know that there are people I can help. It does put each and every one of us at risk, though. The more we do this, the more of a nuisance we'll become to Orion, and the more they're going to want to take us out. There's no shame if any of you don't want to have to deal with that. You're free to leave without judgment or repercussions. But if you're going to stay, make sure you're ready to commit to this, that you understand the danger it presents and the risk we're taking. Does anyone want to leave?"

The room was completely silent. No one even shifted in their seats. They all stayed where they were, watching him, waiting. Spencer met each stare and he gave a small nod. "Okay. Let's run over this again, then. Kasey…"

But whatever he'd been about to say to Kasey was lost when the door to the room opened and McKenna came hurrying in. Spencer looked up at her with surprise. He hadn't even realized that she'd stepped out. She rushed over to him now, her magenta hair swinging as she hurried. "Boss, you've got a phone call." She had the phone in her hand, the mouthpiece covered, and there was an eager look on her face. "It's one of your local contacts. For Stalker."

Spencer quickly held his hand out for the phone and brought it to his ear. "Stalker." He answered, grateful that she'd let him know who to be so he didn't give himself away accidentally. The person on the other end of the line spoke quickly and Spencer's eyebrows shot up at what he heard. "You're sure about this? Absolutely positive?" He paused and then snorted. "Don't get offended, Jack. Yes, yes, okay. Thank you. Yes, you'll get the usual, so long as it proves good. Thanks." He hung up the phone and his expression was fierce and familiar to those at the table. They all sat forward eagerly, knowing that he had something for them. "We've got a shipment." He told them all. "A truck. They were found refueling downtown, and I've got the direction they headed out in, plus a license plate."

A buzz of excitement ran around the table. There were more than a few grins that matched Spencer's. His own smile was sharp and carried a hint of the cougar do it. He pushed himself up from his chair and became the leader in that moment that he always tried to claim he wasn't. "Zac, go grab the small moving truck and meet us down the road in ten minutes. Everyone, get changed and get ready. Kasey, I need you to run down this plate for me…"

* * *

Everything seemed to go off without a hitch. Finding the shipment had been ridiculously easy with their information, and the group with it had put up a fight but it hadn't taken much to subdue them. It was just one of those moments where everything seemed to fall right into place. They got the guards out of the way and loaded up all the victims in their truck and got them the hell out of there. Now they were taking the small moving truck to a local storage unit that Spencer rented, one that Tanya had memorized so she could teleport in and out of there as needed and get people out with her. He always felt bad using her like this, despite knowing that Conduit feeding her energy would help keep her from being exhausted. But it was one of the safest ways to get these people they'd saved from the facility to somewhere more secure.

But no plan, no operation, ever runs perfectly. Though things may seem to be going exactly the way they were planned, that's usually the time to watch out the most. Just at the end, when everything seems to be coming together, when it almost feels safe to relax a little, is the time that a person needs to be most vigilant. That point had been driven home time and time again for Spencer and it was a lesson he hadn't forgotten. Because of that, he was extra vigilant as the moving truck he was inside of made its way to the storage facility. Not being the driver allowed him to watch a little easier as the truck went down the road and being in feline form gave him sharper senses with which to watch. That was how he noticed their tail. _Son of a bitch._

He kept quiet about it as they pulled in and as he input the code. This was a secure storage facility but that didn't mean anything. There were plenty of ways around a 'secure facility'. So he kept his eyes open even as they reached the storage unit he rented here. When they stopped in front of his unit, he kept his eyes peeled while getting out to unlock and raise the door. Stepping to the side, he gestured to Zac to bring the truck inside. The man brought the truck in and Spencer quickly stepped in after them and slid the door back down. Then he spun, thinking quickly as he raced to the back of the truck. In just a moment he had the door unhooked and sliding upwards, but he didn't let it go up all the way. He only opened it enough to poke his head in and look at the people inside. "I need all of you to stay in here." He said quickly.

"What?" Darcy asked, looking worried as she moved a small child off her lap and passed the girl to another person. "What is it, Stalker?"

"We've got a tail. Get everyone to the back of the truck, now." Reaching back and grabbing the hood under his head, he pulled it up and hid his face, just in case. "Don't come out no matter what. Let me greet our guests and see if I can convince them that they don't need to be here."

Darcy hopped up and moved right to him. "I'm coming with you." She said firmly. When it looked like he would protest, she gave him a steady look before grabbing the door and sliding out the gap to land beside him on her feet. "Rule one, never go into a fight alone. Isn't that right? The others need to stay with the people and keep them safe. I'm your backup, like it or not. Let's move, Stalker."

There was no more time to debate this. "Fine." He spat out. His eyes went to Liam, who was sitting quiet and still at the back. "This goes south, you know how to get them out. Don't hesitate." They had protocol in place just in case Spencer couldn't be there to lead them. Liam would assume command of the group if he had to and get them all out of there. Spencer turned toward Tomas, who had joined them now. "In with them." He saw Tomas was about to argue and had to resist growling. "Dammit, get in, Conduit. They're what's important here. Don't forget that. You need to be here to help Beam when she gets here or the whole plan falls apart."

With one final nod, the man slid in and Spencer shut the door. He looked to Darcy and made a few quick gestures with his hands to let her know which way to go and which way he was going to go. She nodded and raced off to the other side of the door, hands coming to her brown hair to pull it back into a ponytail and get it out of her way. Spencer stationed himself on the other side, hands at the ready. He stilled himself and closed his eyes, focusing on his other scenes. Hearing: the sound of footsteps, the brush of what might be clothes, the low sound of breathing. Scent. Opening his eyes again, he held up six fingers to her, letting her know that he scented six people on the other side. With their sign language, he let her know that he would open the door and they would step out, disarm anyone close enough, and talk. She nodded her understanding. This wasn't the first time they'd done this.

Spencer waited until he heard the bodies right up close and then he bent low into a crouch, seeing Darcy do the same. With one hand he grabbed the handle to the door and, at her nod, he gave a giant jerk, sending it flying up. About the same time that she flipped around and prepared to come out swinging, the sudden opening of the door gave Spencer a better chance to scent those there and one particular one reached him. Shock had him still just a second too long and she got her first blow in, snapping her elbow into the chest of the person closest, luckily without her spike extended. Hands reached out to grab her, to try to restrain, and Spencer shot forward, knowing what she was about to do. "Spine! No!" He shouted the word, diving forward and going, not for their assailants, but for her hand. The person she'd been about to hit was staring at them in stunned shock, completely unaware of the danger he was in. Spencer brought his hand out just as Darcy's flung to slap at the person closest and pain exploded in Spencer as the spike in her hand ripped across his arm before he managed to snag her wrist. "Stop!" he snapped out again. Everything around him went utterly still, including their six assailants.

The shock on Darcy's face was bright, but nowhere near as bright as the faces of the others. Cyclops, Wolverine, Phoenix, Gambit, Rogue, Iceman and Beast were all gaping at him. Iceman was staring at Darcy's hand, which had just passed so close to his chest, and at Spencer's bleeding arm.

It was Gambit who let out a surprised "Stalker?"

Spencer grimaced and let go of Darcy's arm. "Hello again, gentlemen." He breathed out. Then his legs melted out from underneath him and he was sliding down to the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

_Just so you guys understand, since this chapter is Spencer's POV, he only uses the real names of those he knows. That's why some of the x-men are written in code names and others aren't. I hope that's not too confusing. This chapter would've been longer, but I looked at what I had next and where I would break it, and if I didn't end this chapter here, it wouldn't have had a good place to cut it off for quite a while and the chapter would've been huge. So, short chapter here, longer one on the next. :)_

* * *

Shock permeated the room for one long moment. Iceman stood there, stunned, his eyes still locked on Darcy's hand and the venom covered spike still showing there. Cyclops, who had put his hand to his visor at the start of the fight, was slowly dropping his hand down, though still cautiously watching everything with an air that suggested he was ready to fight again if it became necessary. Phoenix was standing by Beast, one hand on his arm to restrain him. The doctor in Beast was demanding he go and help one obviously injured, and who had been injured defending one of their own. Rogue just stood staring, unsure of what to do or what was going on. Her eyes were on Gambit, who had started to move forward.

It was Logan who darted forward fast enough to catch Spencer as he started to fall. He'd caught a change in the feline's scent and had known something was wrong. Spencer's knees almost touched the ground before Logan's hands were there, bracing him up. In that moment Spencer appreciated the man's strength. He curled his bleeding arm in toward his chest, his other hand coming out to grab Logan's arm and try to brace, any formalities momentarily forgotten. His eyes lifted to Darcy. "The medical bag. Get the shot." He wheezed out to her. Already he could feel his head spinning. He needed that shot, now. Only the fact that he'd had pervious exposure to this kept him on his feet at all. It was all a little hazy as he felt Logan pull him into the unit and there was the sound of someone shutting the door. Voices were speaking in low, furious tones, his nose catching the changes in scent and telling him that people were both scared and angry. Mostly angry _because_ they were scared. But then Darcy was beside him and she was reaching for the edge of his shirt. "No, no." He gasped. Taking a deep breath, he held out his injured arm. "This one, here. Closer to the source. Hurry."

Someone called out something and Darcy ignored it, pulling the cap off the needle at the same time she grabbed his wrist to hold his arm out. Then, before anyone could stop her, she expertly slid the needle right into the vein in the crook of his elbow and she was pressing the plunger. When she pulled it away, she pressed her thumb over it, trying to stem the tiny bit of blood that came. "It's in." Her voice was panicked and guilty and other things he knew he'd have to deal with soon. But not right now.

"What the hell is going on here?" Someone's voice was demanding. "Who are you guys?"

As much as Spencer knew he needed to handle the situation, there were other things that were more pressing at the moment. Discussing what the hell the X-Men were doing here could be done once the important things were taken care of. He took a deep, shuddering breath, eyes going to Darcy. "The bandages, please. Quickly. All this aside, we're on a schedule. I'd like to stay on schedule." Then he turned his eyes to the others, fighting the dizziness. He was damn lucky that the dose of venom he'd gotten from Darcy's spine hadn't been a strong one and they'd put in the 'antidote' that they'd worked hard to create. Otherwise, he'd be completely incapacitated. As it was, he was going to be dizzy and slightly nauseous for about a half an hour until the antidote worked to neutralize whatever amount had gotten into his system.

Tomas appeared from around the edge of the truck with the first aid bag. He came hurrying forward, stopping only long enough to murmur something to Darcy, who moved towards the truck. Liam was standing at the back of the truck now in a way that told Spencer he was clearly guarding their cargo. His team wasn't made up of the most trusting of people, at least to those outside of their group. They would protect these people they'd rescued against anything or anyone they felt was a threat, including the X-Men. Spencer resolved to talk to them about it later. For now, he held still as Tomas came up, gloves on, and started to bandage his arm for him. He gave his friend a quick look of thanks and then turned his attention to Logan, who had let go of him now that he saw Spencer was able to be upright. "Hello, Wolverine." A corner of Spencer's mouth quirked up in slight humor. "Fancy seeing you here. Do you tail people often, or are we becoming special?"

"You always get in people's way?" Logan shot back teasingly. There was a gruffness to his voice, though, that showed his concern, and his eyes traveled over where Tomas was wrapping Spencer's arm.

Spencer gave him a cheeky smile. "Some would say that we aren't so much in your way as being one step ahead of you." His words cut off and he hissed as Tomas jerked the bandage tight before taping it off.

The one Spencer knew to be Cyclops held one of his hands up towards Logan to stop whatever retort he'd had planned. Then he turned his head towards Spencer. "I feel pretty safe in guessing that you're the one Wolverine and Gambit told me about called Stalker?"

"Yes." Spencer said. And that was all he said. By now his head had cleared enough that the room wasn't spinning and his legs were a little steadier. He actually managed to stand up straight somewhat. Somewhat. Just in time, too. A glance at his watch told him they were almost out of time. "Spine, let them know we're safe. Beam should be here in…" Quickly he glanced at his watch. "One minute, thirty seven seconds. We need to be ready for first transport." He looked over at the cluster of X-Men and instructed "Everyone, I need you away from that wall." He gestured towards the far wall with one hand. Turning back to his team, he asked "All right, any volunteers for Conduit?"

Darcy, Lilo, and Zac all stepped up, each one offering their hand to Tomas in turn. Spencer would've been right up there with them but he knew he couldn't spare any energy at the moment. To his immense surprise, Logan stepped away from his friends and walked straight over to Tomas, holding out his own hand. Tomas's eyebrows went up with surprise. He shot a look at Spencer, who gave him a small nod, and then he looked back at Logan. "You might feel a little lightheaded for a moment." He warned him. Then he laid his hand right over Logan's.

Almost all of the X-team seemed ready to protest. Cyclops even called out "Now wait a minute, what do you think you're doing?"

"Calm down, One Eye." Logan called out. "I'm just giving the guy a hand."

The touch between him and Tomas only took just a moment, just enough to draw some of his energy in, and he was turning back towards his friends now. The man didn't even seem to stumble. Tomas, however, had a slight glow to his eyes that Spencer knew meant he had quite a lot of energy built up inside. He'd taken energy from a few of them and it was obvious that he was full to bursting. Just in time, too. All conversation was shut off when Tanya appeared over by the empty wall. Her eyes took in the room with one big sweep and, bless her, she didn't even miss a beat. Spencer was reminded why he loved this woman when she just flashed a smile at the room and said "Looks like I'm interrupting a party. Hey Wolverine, Gambit, good to see you again."

"Yeah, yeah, play later." Darcy said with a roll of her eyes.

"Party pooper." Tanya shot back.

For all their teasing, the two women were both doing what needed to be done. Tanya was reaching out for Tomas, who was coming up to take her hand so he could pass some of the energy to her. Darcy was moving towards the truck with the others. Bracing himself against a wall, not entirely sure he should try walking much yet, Spencer watched as his people unloaded the first part of the group from the back of the truck and brought the people over towards Tanya. As Tanya gathered them in close, they seemed to finally reached the limit for the X-Men, most of whom were trying to move forward now. Ready to walk or not, Spencer pushed himself off the wall. He was extremely grateful when Liam stepped out and caught his elbow to help him. The two moved quickly, placing themselves between Tanya and the X-Men. "I need you to stay back." Spencer told them quickly.

"Where exactly are you taking those people?" Phoenix demanded.

"To safety." Liam answered firmly. His lower voice drew attention to him seemingly for the first time. Spencer actually saw a few of the others startle at the sight of the black skinned man. In the dull light of the storage unit, his skin seemed even blacker than normal, almost blending into the shadows, and the dark blue stripes stood out eerily. The completely dark blue eyes took on a sort of fierce, burning look, and he angled himself protectively at Spencer's side. There weren't many things that would bring Liam from the shadows he preferred to work in. Protecting any of his 'family' was one of them.

Remy pushed forward and moved to stand between the two groups. He put his back towards Spencer and the others and faced Cyclops, spreading his arms open wide. "_Mes amis, _jus' take a deep breath an calm down. Cyke, y' know who dese people are. We told y' about dem. Y' know dey aint gonna be after hurting none of dese people. Y'r information, it was right, we was just too late, dat's all."

"It doesn't look that simple to me. How do we know the information was right?" Iceman asked, eyes running over them all.

Snorting, Logan shook his head. "Don't play stupid, Icecube."

Spencer watched the back and forth between these people carefully. At the same time, he kept a careful ear on the action behind him, listening to the sound that indicated Tanya had taken the first group, and then the sound as she came back. Trusting to his people to take care of that business, Spencer tipped his head and looked over to the obvious leader here of the X-Men. "What exactly was your information, Cyclops? If you don't mind my asking."

Someone made a protesting sound, only to be cut off by Cyclops, who held a hand out and gestured for quiet. He'd turned and Spencer was pretty sure the eyes behind the battle visor were fixed on him. There was a measuring feel to that look that had Spencer straightening up a little, unconsciously reacting to what his inner animal took as a threat. Cyclops noted it and there was just the slightest twitch to his lips. His voice, when he spoke, was even. "We received intelligence tonight of a shipment passing through here by the Orion Corporation. We came to intercept it. Too late, it would seem."

"Ah." That made things a little clearer. Spencer nodded his head in understanding. His eyes flashed over to Logan and his voice gentled a little. "Still haven't found the one you were looking for?" He asked. He saw the surprise on a few faces and he smiled with good humor. "You guys never said much, but I figured there had to be a reason you were hunting around there, and paired with you out hunting tonight, it's kind of obvious you're hoping to find someone."

"Someone that could've been on that truck." Phoenix said.

There was another shift in sound behind Spencer, telling him that Tanya had taken the next group, and then Lilo's voice called out "What did they look like?" He came strolling up to stand at Spencer's other side, opposite Liam, so that the two were standing beside him like bodyguards. Lilo flashed a smile of greeting at both Logan and Remy and then turned to look at Phoenix once more. "This person you're looking for, what did they look like?"

Cyclops was the one to answer the question. "She's white. White from head to toe—skin, hair, eyes, the works. And she's only twelve."

There were more than a few winces at hearing that. Spencer gave a low growl that actually had Rogue and Iceman taking a step back. Logan, however, nodded sharply in full agreement.

"There was no one like that in this shipment." Lilo told them quietly, his voice a little more subdued now. "We haven't come across anyone like that. But we can keep an eye out. You're sure it was the Orion Corporation that took her?"

"_Oui_." Remy answered. "Now dat we have de information, it all adds together. We been piecing t'ings together since we got home. It was dem."

"This isn't the place to be having a conversation like this." Cyclops interrupted them.

The man was right. This wasn't the place to be having a conversation like this. Spencer bit on his bottom lip as his mind moved quickly. These people were hunting after Orion too, it would seem, and trying to get back a young girl. Their enemies were the same here. And really, his team wasn't getting anywhere right now. This shipment had been their first lead in the past week and with each passing day, this group was getting more of a chance to seal off any leaks and make themselves even more secured. There was no doubt they were preparing for Spencer and his team; especially after tonight's events. Spencer could see only one logical conclusion he could come to here. He looked to his team, trying to read their expressions, gauge what they would want, but they all looked back at him with looks that clearly told him that they trusted whatever he chose to do. They were looking to him for leadership and he was getting just a little better about assuming it. Out here in the field it had never been that much of a problem. Here, they'd fallen into a system, even when confronted by others. But this was different. This was the X-Men they were dealing with and Spencer worried about what this decision might do.

But he couldn't pull them all aside to debate it. This was one of those moments that he and Tanya had talked about before; a moment where he was going to have to suck it up, push down his fears and insecurities, and be the boss that they all treated him as. He was going to have to make a decision and accept the consequences of it, no matter how they turned out. And there was only one decision that felt right to him. He looked at Cyclops and prayed that he wasn't about to make a big mistake. "You can come back to our offices and we can exchange information."

"Stalker…"

Spencer laid a hand on Lilo's arm, effectively cutting off whatever he'd been about to say. He knew what it was; it wasn't hard to read it on his face. "It'll be fine." He murmured in a low voice. Hand still on his arm, he looked up at the X-Men. "We both have information that could prove extremely beneficial to one another here. I'm more than willing to meet and exchange information. Anything to help us on this, I'm not too prideful to accept. But I'm extending you quite a lot of trust here. The _only_ reason I'm trusting you at all is because Wolverine and Gambit proved themselves trustworthy back in Eugene. If they're willing to vouch for the rest of you, then I'll take my chances."

"I am." Logan's voice was steady and sure. He, at least, seemed to understand. His blue eyes met Spencer's without flinching. "They're good people."

"_Oui_." Remy agreed firmly.

That was enough for him. "Okay." Spencer looked around at them and gave a slow nod. "Okay then. However, I want to make a few things clear, before we go." And all of a sudden the nice and calm Spencer was gone and in his place was very much a predator. Every inch of Spencer's body radiated warning. His tail snapped behind him and his ears laid back towards his head. "You are coming into _my_ territory, with _my_ people. Whatever problems you have, whatever grudges you may hold against any of them, you'll treat them with respect when you're there or you won't be there. You hurt them and I will hurt you." There was no doubt about the veracity of that last part. It was clear he meant every word he said. Off to the side he saw Logan smirk slightly at his threat and give a small, respectful nod of his head.

"We're not after hurting your people, Stalker." Scott said.

The look that Spencer gave him said clearer than words just how very little he believed that. "Yes, well, I'll hold you to that." He contemplated for a moment just giving them the address and then figured he might as well not bother. It'd be easier this way. "Meet us in an hour downtown at Catamount Profiling." He smirked slightly and his amber eyes flashed briefly to Remy. "That should give you plenty of time to get there and to research us along the way." He saw the unashamed grin spread on Remy's face and he couldn't help but smile back at him. Still smiling, he looked back at Scott. "I'll ask Zac to keep an eye out and show you where to go once you arrive."

"We'll be there." Cyclops said.

* * *

The hour time limit Spencer had set had been more for him and his people than for the X-Men. It gave time for them to load up their truck and get it out of there, and to get back to the offices, and it gave him time once he was there for him to meet with everyone and talk about this. Spencer knew that there were going to be a few that weren't happy about his decision. He was right. When he and his entire team were back at the office and gathered in the conference room there, he saw more than a few worried faces. "I understand that you're all worried." He told them all. "I wouldn't have done this if I didn't believe it was safe, or necessary. But I won't force you to be here if you don't want to. Any one of you are welcome to go without shame or fear of repercussions. I won't make any of you stay or deal with them." His eyes sought out two people in particular. Sean and Abigail. They were the two with the worst history with the X-Men.

Abigail looked slightly pale, but she gave him a small version of her usual smile. "I'm staying, Boss."

"Me too." Sean chimed in with a soft hiss. His smile showed fang and carried a hint of a threat to it. "I'm not scared of the X-Men."

It wasn't surprising that it was Tanya who questioned him. She was the one least afraid to do so. "Why bring them here, Spencer? Why not meet them somewhere else?"

"Because this is where we work. Our information, our resources, everything we have against Orion is here." Spencer answered. His eyes once more drifted over his teammates, his words direction to all of them. "I understand completely that you guys don't like this, and I know I should've consulted you before I made the decision, but there was no way for us to stand in there and debate this, and it seemed the most logical thing to me. They have information and some resources that we don't and we need anything we can get. This is the biggest company we've ever gone after. I'm not above taking assistance for something like this. If we're hunting this group and they're hunting them, why shouldn't we work together?"

"But Spencer...do you really trust them that much?" Kasey asked hesitantly. He looked around at the others like he was seeking out support. Then his worried eyes went back to Spencer. "I mean, they know our center of business now. You've got to know they'll be researching us. How long do you think it'll take before they find out who you really are?"

"Oh, I'm quite sure they've already found that out." Spencer said calmly. He didn't look the least bit disturbed by that. "With what I know of Gambit's reputation, he probably started researching us the minute I left. He's probably been trying to research us ever since I told him my first name back in Eugene."

"How can you be so casual about it?" Zac asked, aghast.

Spencer gave a negligent shrug of his shoulder. "I think we're relatively safe trusting the X-Men of all people. They've just as much to protect-more, actually-than we do." He paused and a small little smile flashed across his face. "Besides, I highly doubt they'd risk letting my secret slip once they realize what kind of risk they'd be running if they do. They'll wonder and worry-if they tell my secret, who might I tell theirs to?"

That drew some interest. Darcy leaned forward and looked at him curiously. "What secrets do you know about the X-Men?"

That little smile reappeared on Spencer's lips. "More than they realize, I imagine. I've met a wide array of people in our line of work and I've learned quite a bit from them. It's amazing, the things you pick up when you simply listen." His eyes ran over these friends had become like family and he felt a swell of affection well up in him. "I won't let them hurt you, any of you. I want you to know that. I'm not going to let them hurt you. Nor will I force you to work with them if you don't want to. That's why I said that any of you can leave. I won't judge you for it at all."

"I'm staying." Tanya told him. Her words were echoed by each person around the room. Even Liam, who avoided people if possible, said "I will stay."

Spencer smiled proudly at them. These brave, brave people. "All right then." He had to clear his throat against the little knot of emotion that had built there. Time to get back to business. "Okay. Well, then. Zac, if you don't mind, would you wait outside for them and show them were to park around back so they're more secure? Just bring them in here once they get here. Tanya, how did things go at the shelter, did everyone get there okay?"

* * *

_A big thanks to my reviewers. You guys are great an you make me feel great about all this. Thanks, sugar bees!_


	11. Chapter 11

Fifteen minutes passed before Spencer heard the sound of people entering the building. His ears quickly caught Zac's voice and the relaxed tone to it. Ah. The X-Men must be here. Spencer turned towards the door and he felt the others do the same behind him. They were all watching as the doors opened and the X-Men team came walking in, dressed just a little differently than they had been before. Gone were the uniforms that they'd been wearing. Each one was dressed in what could be considered 'civilian' clothing. They came walking in with Zac leading them, Cyclops and Phoenix right behind him and the others behind them.

Zac came right up to Spencer and flashed him a smile. Spencer smiled back at him. "Thank you."

"No problem, Boss." The man said. He winked at Spencer and then moved to join the others that were spread out behind Spencer.

The X-Men stopped with just a few feet between them. For a moment it was like it had been back at the storage place; two teams squaring off against one another. But then Cyclops cleared his throat and he broke the silence. "Allow me to introduce my team." He said. He started with himself, surprising Spencer completely with the names he gave. "I'm Scott and this is my wife, Jean." He gestured to Phoenix beside him. Then his hand moved back to Iceman and started to make his way around the group. "This is Bobby, Rogue, Hank, and you know Logan and Remy."

Wow. Spencer definitely hadn't been expecting that kind of introduction. He glanced back at his own team. This part of things he would leave up to them. Let them answer as they would.

Tanya moved forward first, putting herself at Spencer's side and offering them all her polite smile. "I'm known as Beam, but you can call me Tanya."

Next to move was Tomas. He, unsurprisingly, stepped up beside Tanya, one hand going to her shoulder. "I'm Tomas."

That seemed to set them all off. One by one his team introduced themselves, giving their real names. All of them seemed to realize that there was no going back from here. Giving out their name seemed like something small when they'd already let this team into their offices. So, they introduced themselves, one by one. McKenna, Darcy, Lilo, Zac, Liam, Abigail and even Sean. The only person not out here was Kasey; he'd gone back to The Kennel to start adding in this new information from tonight. The surprise reactions that his team earned didn't go unnoticed for Spencer. He saw a few flinches back from Liam, just like before. But what he was really watching for was the last two. They moved up to Spencer's open side and Spencer braced himself, though he tried to stay casual, making sure that he was watching everything carefully as first Abigail and then Sean gave their introductions.

Reactions were almost instantaneous. Scott took a full step backwards at the sight of Sean, even going so far as to reach out and put an arm in front of his wife while his other hand twitched in the barely stilled urge to reach for his visor. Jean looked ready to fight and there was a brief flash of fire in her eyes. Abigail earned reactions from more of them. There was a tension that snapped through the X-Men that hadn't been there before.

Spencer saw the potential threat to his people and he moved forward just one step, placing himself between Abigail and the others. He felt Sean drawing her backwards, out of the way. Everyone saw it. Spencer's team went tense around him and he felt them all moving into defensive positions to better be able to back him up. Sean was directly at Spencer's side now, his own hands held loose and ready. In reaction, the X-Men team had tensed even more and they were all braced now, each one of them, their bodies clearly saying they were ready for a fight. All except for two.

Logan and Remy showed no hesitation at all in placing themselves between the two groups. "What the hell is going on here?" Logan demanded, looking from one side to the other. "We're supposed to be meeting in peace!"

"Yeah, well, they failed to mention they'd be bringing their own _assassin_." Scott snarled out.

That brought a hush to the room. The way that Spencer stood protectively at Sean's side left no doubts as to who was being talked about. But it was Remy who reacted the most. He straightened up at their words and everything about him went on high alert. "Assassin?"

"Ex." Spencer put in, before anyone else could speak. That was a very important point he wanted to make.

Sean stood calmly at Spencer's side and turned serpentine eyes over towards the Cajun. "Not like you're thinking, Thief."

That took a second for Spencer to fully make the connection. When he did, he realized that he was an absolute idiot for not thinking of it sooner. There was enough talk about Gambit on the streets and plenty of it connected him to the Thieves Guild that some people still didn't even believe existed. Spencer knew it did. Just as he knew an Assassin's Guild existed. He'd worked the streets enough in this line of work and he knew enough people from the cities underbellies that he'd heard plenty about Guilds. He should've thought about how Remy would react to hearing that Sean was an assassin. Seeking to quickly dispel it, Spence put one hand on Sean's shoulder and met Remy's stare head on. "Sean was never Guild."

"They wanted me, though. But I belonged to my Masssster." The sharp hiss to that last word carried all of Sean's contempt for the man who had owned him.

It was instinct and habit to scan his eyes over the body language in the room. Spencer looked at them all, mentally sighing out his frustration at Bobby's obvious fear. He tilted his head to look at Sean and lowered his voice to just a soft rumble. "Sean, please." The soft request had his friend pulling back. Sean relaxed his lip, letting his fangs become less obvious once more, and he gave a small nod of respect to Spencer. That look clearly said that he was holding back for Spencer's sake and his sake only. Spencer knew that and he gave his own nod in return, a silent 'thank you' to the man.

Once he was sure that Sean was calmer, he turned back towards the others and his eyes went first to Bobby. With a subtle growl of warning under his words, he spoke to them all, but he watched Bobby, able to see that he was the one closest to striking. "Remember the promise you all gave before coming here. No harm to mine."

Bobby's lip curled up and he snapped "I didn't realize you'd be harboring a hired killer."

"Bobby!" Remy hissed. He was closest to the man and he put a hand on his shoulder, almost looking like he was holding him back.

_Excuse me_? Spencer's spine stiffened and he drew himself up straighter as he glared at the insolent little cub. "Watch your mouth, cub. He's my friend and you are my guest. I suggest you remember that." He snapped. Sharp eyes drifted over the group. "Whatever problem you have with anyone here, it's in the past. I've known Sean for twelve years and I trust him absolutely."

"I'm not the perssson I wasss all thossse yearsss ago." Sean said softly. His usually slight hiss was coming out stronger than normal which usually signified temper or stress. Right now it was a tossup between the two. His eyes seemed to catch the light of the room and shine slightly as they looked directly at Scott. "I'm not the perssson you hunted then. I've changed. Bosss there sssaved me and gave me a new life. He sssaved my life and I gave him my promissse I wouldn't kill unnecesssssairly. I haven't broken that promissse in twelve yearsss."

Scott and Jean exchanged a brief look, one of those looks that all married couples seem to develop, and then they looked around their team. There was a shift in Jean's scent, a change in her posture and in her eyes, and Spencer knew she was speaking telepathically to the others. It wasn't hard to guess how it was going, either. Everyone's scents were changing so sharply around them and their bodies loudly displayed their emotions for one who knew how to look. Then Logan gave a growl and he stepped just a little closer to Spencer's half of the room, what could almost be considered a threat, but he turned himself to face the X-Men. That said clearer than words just whose side he was on. He wasn't the only one to make that move, either. Remy did the same thing, putting himself right next to Sean without even hesitating or flinching. He was the one to bring the conversation back out loud once more. "What people did in de past is deir own business." He said firmly. "Dat aint what we're here fo'."

"He's a killer!" Bobby snapped.

"And what about her?" Rogue demanded, gesturing back to where Abigail was. "You gonna help them shelter her too, swamp rat? She's actually actively fought against us!"

"What of it, cher?" Remy shot right back. "If we're gonna judge everyone fo' de shit dey done to us, how bout we start bringing up some of de t'ings y've done in de past to members of dis team?"

That definitely struck home. She flinched like she'd been struck and then lashed out even harder in return. "So you think we should just let it all go, huh?"

This was getting out of control. Tempers were flying and Spencer could see that this was like a giant powder keg just waiting for a spark. One wrong thing and this whole place would blow. He had to stop that before it happened. There was only one way he could think of to do that. Drawing in a deep breath, Spencer stepped right out between the two groups and held out his hands as he snarled out a furious "_Enough_!"

Every single person in the room fell silent. Those that didn't know him weren't sure of what he was going to do. Those that did know him knew that he had been pushed as far as he was going to go at the moment. Either way, all eyes were on him.

He used a look he had seen Aaron use countless times at work when there were turf battles to contend with at police stations. He swept the room with a hard look that left no one free and he made sure his gaze was hard enough to let them know that he'd had enough. "I am done with this." He told them all. "Every single person on my team has my complete and utter trust. Whatever they did in their lives before joining up with me, I don't hold against them." He turned his sharp stare towards the X-Men and they all clearly saw the anger in those amber depths. "Every person I have here has been rescued from one situation or another. The things they were forced to do rests of the heads of those that thought it was perfectly acceptable to _buy_ another human being and use them for their own purposes. It's the people they are now that matter to me. Now, we came here to work. If all you're going to do is threaten and insult my people, then just turn around and march right out the door. I won't let you step into _my_ territory and treat _my_ people this way."

Help came from a surprising quarter. Hank, who had been silently observing up until now, stepped up to Scott and put a large hand on his shoulder. "He is right, Fearless." The doctor said calmly. "We do not know their stories or what happened in their lives at that time that put them where they were. Can we rightfully stand here and judge them? All of us have our own past. Who they are and what they've done back then holds no bearing on what we're doing now."

Scott stared at his teammate for a long moment before letting out a gusty sigh. "You're right, Hank. You're right." Still, he turned his head back towards Spencer and his expression firmed slightly. "But I reserve the right to talk about this at a later time, when we aren't so caught up in the rest of this."

"Fine." Spencer agreed. "Does this mean you're going to honor your word to not harm my people?"

"Yes." Scott said.

"And what about the rest of your team?" Sharp eyes drifted over them and then back to Scott. "Can you ensure they'll all honor that?"

There was no hesitation. Scott didn't even turn to look at them. "Absolutely."

"Good. Then how about we do what we came here for and get to work?" Spencer said firmly. He relaxed his stance a little and pulled his mind back to a business mindset, not a fighting one. "Now, why don't we all have a seat? You said you have information about the Orion Corporation?"

Everyone started to move over to the large table. Spencer turned around to find Remy standing there watching him with appreciation and something else in his eyes, something just a tiny bit heated. His mouth was curved up on one side in a playful little smirk that hit Spencer right in the gut. "Very well done, _mon ami_." He said appreciatively.

Once more Spencer blessed his fur hiding his blush. That was starting to become a common thing around this Cajun. "Thanks." He murmured. Then he quickly hurried up to the table, ignoring the husky little chuckle behind him.

Thanks to McKenna's planning, there were plenty of chairs around their table. Spencer noted how everyone sat themselves and he shook his head lightly. It was all done very deliberately. He sat at the head of the table where the others always seemed to push him to. Down at the far end, Scott sat at the head of that half, leader facing leader. Spencer's people had arrayed themselves around him in a protective manner. Sean was on his left, with Abigail beside him, and then Zach and then Liam. On his right sat Tanya, Tomas, Darcy, and ending in Lilo. Scott's people were carefully arrayed around him, too. On his right at his wife, Jean, and then Bobby and finally Logan, putting Logan right by Liam. On the other side sat Hank, Rogue and then there was an empty chair before finally there was Remy, putting Remy right beside Lilo. They were all arranged in ways of strength that would allow each side to best protect their own people. While some trust was being brought here, it was quite clear that that trust was grudgingly given.

As he looked around, Spencer realized that McKenna wasn't there. Where had she gone? He turned to look and found her coming back in the room with stacks of files in her arms. Immediately he pushed up from his seat and made his way over to her. "Kenna, what are you doing?"

"Just getting some things that we need." She told him.

He shook his head and took the stack of files from her, setting them on the side table. Then he caught her arm and drew her over to the table. "You're a part of this team just like the rest of us. Come sit down." And to her complete embarrassment, he pushed her down into the chair he'd just vacated. The woman sat down and her cheeks flushed as she saw everyone watching her. Spencer took up a stance right behind the chair she was in, his hands coming to rest soothingly on her shoulders. It was time to get past all this stupid stuff and on to what was important here—their work. He looked down the length of the table to Scott. "How long have you all been hunting Orion?" He asked, getting them started.

Scott rested his elbows on the armrests of his chair and folded his hands together. He looked every inch the leader as he sat back in his chair. "They've been on our radar for a while now, but more in the information gathering capacity. We've only been actively going after them since Remy and Logan returned from Eugene. Like I said, though, we've been looking into them for a while, though I have to admit that we didn't suspect them of trafficking. We've gone after them for their ties to other things."

"Dey got a hand in everyt'ing." Remy interjected. He leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other, giving him a rather sexual pose. It was just that, though; a pose. Spencer watched the man slouch down slightly and really play up the lazy, sexual role. His drawl had thickened just the slightest bit, too. Small enough that Spencer doubted anyone else would've noticed. "Guns, drugs. If y' can sell it, dey're involved. Dat's de side of t'ings we've got our information on. De trafficking…not so much, not yet."

"So you've basically got a whole lot of nothing." Zac asked, one black brow arched over top of amused green eyes.

"Zac." Spencer said warningly. His friend held his hands up in peace and sat back once more.

Tanya leaned forward, folding her arms and resting them on the table. Her wild curls were still pulled back from earlier, so it made it easy for her to look around the table at everyone. "I think we're going about this the wrong way. We've both got different sets of information, it sounds like, yet combined together they might give us a more accurate image of what we're up against here. Why don't we each bring what we've got to the table and start adding it all together?" She turned dark eyes up to Spencer. "We could bring in a new board and maps and start marking locations that we both know, plotting things out that way. We could get another board together and start building a comprehensive profile of Orion Corporation itself."

"That's a brilliant idea." Spencer smiled at her, glad that someone had their head on straight here. He brought his eyes back down to Scott. "How does that sound to you?"

"It sounds like the best plan to me." Scott agreed. He tapped his fingers together for a moment and then turned towards Remy. "Gambit do you have a way for us to access everything we've got on the Orion group?"

Remy nodded. "_Oui_. Jus' need a laptop. Aint got one on me."

"We can help with that." Lilo told him. "Kasey's down in the Kennel. I'm sure he's got a laptop to spare in there."

"The Kennel?" Rogue drawled out dryly.

"It's what he calls his computer room." Abigail explained. True to form, she'd bounced back rather quickly from the antagonism earlier and she was smiling like her usual self once more. "It's sort of his way of being funny."

Spencer gave McKenna's shoulders a soft squeeze before letting go. "Okay. I need someone to get us a few empty boards in here and new maps to mark up. We'll also need to pull out the boxes with all the Orion information we've stored in here and get those ready to go. Remy, I'll take you down to the Kennel and we can get you a laptop and whatever else you need there. Liam." He looked at Liam and said nothing more than his name, yet the silent request was easily caught. Liam nodded his understanding. Spencer was passing over protection of the room to his friend. He was letting Liam know that he was in charge of keeping people safe while Spencer was gone.

Everyone started to move at Spencer's words, heading off to do what they were asked. Remy easily came up and fell in beside Spencer and it was no real surprise that Logan fell in beside him. With a wave of the hand, Spencer gestured for them to follow him and the trio made their way out of the room.

The people that they left behind were all moving efficiently around the room, drawing boxes and boards out of the storage closet at the far end of the room. Jean was the first of the X-Men to rise to her feet and she looked to Darcy, who was wheeling in an empty tack board. "Is there anything we can do to help, maybe?" She offered.

Darcy's eyebrows went up in surprise. She hesitated only for a second before saying "We've got boxes there in the closet that need to come out, the two blue small storage tubs can come out too, and we need to start some fresh coffee. You guys are welcome to help with any of that if you really want to."

"I'll start the coffee." Rogue offered. She smirked at Jean as she pushed to her feet. "If Jean starts it, we'll all be drinking brown water."

That little bit of humor broke just a small amount of the tension in the room. Everyone moved a little easier now and the X-Men had risen as well and were helping get everything drawn out. Together, it took barely any time at all to get the boards out and the boxes set onto the table. A new map of the US was tacked up to one board and the other was left blank for now. The dual coffee pot was going. All they had to do now was wait for the others to get back. It wasn't surprising that, as they all started to settle back in at the table, someone started asking questions. Jean took her seat by Scott once more and she looked down at Spencer's team. "While we're waiting, can I ask you guys a question?"

"Go for it." Tanya said. She smiled at them. "We can't promise we'll answer, but you're always welcome to ask questions."

That earned her a few smiles. Jean chuckled at her and nodded. "Fair enough. I was just wondering how you all get into doing this? How'd you come together this way to fight against traffickers of all things?"

It was the question that they'd all been expecting and that they were prepared to answer. "We were all victims." Abigail said lightly. She shifted in her chair and drew one foot up to rest on the seat. Folding her arms on her knee, she rested her chin there and looked at Scott, no sign of her typical smile in place. "Everyone here that works for the Boss has been saved by him from one place or another."

"Some of us had personal owners. Some were kept as pets." Lilo said, thinking of Kasey.

"Some of us were part of a freak show." Liam added.

"But we were all, in one way or another, a victim of traffickers. That's why we fight this fight." Tanya said.

Tomas put his arm around Tanya, reacting to her mood. He lifted his chin a little. "It's why we're all extremely protective of our Boss, too. He saved our lives, literally."

There was no mistaking the warning in those words. One look at the people spread around the room and there was no doubt in the mind of any of the X-Men that these people in here would lay down their lives for their 'Boss'. It only made them all the more curious about them. _/They're a unique group here/_ Jean telepathically sent to Scott. _/I'm not sure about the dynamic between them yet. It worries me a little that they're all rescued from traffickers, yet they so obviously treat this man as a sort of 'master' over them. We should watch them/_

_/I plan on it. But I think you might be reading more into it than there is/ _Scott sent back.

_/We'll see/_

Their mental conversation was interrupted by McKenna. She came walking into the room with her arms laden down with bags. Immediately Tomas, Lilo, and Liam moved towards her, reaching out to relieve her of some of the bags. She gave them a warm smile that was just slightly shy around the edges. "Thanks, guys. Just set them on the table. I went out to go get some things and there as someone at the door. I guess Boss ordered dinner for everyone. I checked with him and he said for everyone to go ahead and get settled in and eat, he'll be back with the others shortly."

"Oh, bless him." Darcy said eagerly. "I'm starved!"

Tanya made a gesture towards the X-Men and gave them a welcoming smile. "Come on and join us. We can take a chance to get to know one another while we wait for them to join us."

* * *

While the others were doing their thing in the conference room, Spencer had taken Logan and Remy both down to the Kennel. He paused briefly at the door and carefully angled himself so that it wouldn't be visible as he typed in the code to open the door. There was a soft click as the lock disengaged and then Spencer was smiling at them. "Come on in, gentlemen. And welcome to the Kennel." He said, pulling the door open wide. He stepped inside and looked over to where Kasey was standing near one of his desk, bent over one of the computers. "Kasey." He called out to his friend. "We've got company."

"I can smell that." Kasey said without straightening up. "Who'd you bring me, Boss?"

Spencer rolled his eyes and responded automatically with a "Don't call me that." His tailed swished around behind him with his humor, though. Looking back, he gestured Remy and Logan closer, both of whom were still standing by the door and were watching them both with open amusement. "Come on in, guys. Kasey won't bite."

The white furred canine straightened up from his computer finally and he turned to look at the newcomers with a wide grin that showed just a hint of his teeth. "Not anymore, at least. Boss doesn't like it when I bite the guests."

The teasing surprise Spencer. It wasn't usual for Kasey when around people he didn't know. He tended to usually be shyer around strangers. Then again, his ease with these two could be in direct correlation with Spencer's ease with them.

Spencer's thoughts of ease came far too soon. As if to contradict what he'd just been thinking completely, things changed rather quickly. They were okay when Remy and Kasey shook hands to greet one another. But when Logan and Kasey looked to each other, their greeting was quite a bit different. The two stopped in front of one another and Spencer recognized the signs at their greeting went just slightly more primal. It was close to the reaction that Spencer had first had when scenting another feral back in Eugene. Both of them went a little tense and both were sniffing, eyeing one another and taking in each other's measure. It was an assessment of feral to feral, complete with low growls and posturing. Spencer cut it off before it could get any worse. He stepped between them and snarled at them both, ears tucked back against his head and teeth bared, letting them both know just who the hell was in charge here.

Immediately Kasey took a step back and he ducked his head slightly, recognizing the alpha in the room and showing his submission. Logan stopped his own growling but he was looking at Spencer with slight surprise.

Remy broke the last bit of tension by laughing. He plopped down into the chair beside them, one arm resting on the back and one leg kicked out over the armrest. "Y'all done wit' y'r alpha posturing, or y' gonna start pissing on t'ings to mark y'r territory? Cause if dat's de case, Remy's gonna go find somet'ing else to do."

"Careful, Gumbo. You're part of my territory, too." Grin sharp, Logan reached out and mussed Remy's hair, laughing when it earned him a scowl.

Remy smoothed his hair and glared up at Logan through his bangs. "Y' jus' try pissing on dis Cajun and see what happens to y', mec. Dere's only so far dat friendship gets y' and Remy draws his line at being pissed on." All of a sudden that devilish face of his transformed into a broad grin and he slanted a flirtatious look over to Spencer. "Besides, dere's much better ways to mark y'r territory, _non_?"

The innuendo in those words was obvious. Spencer's ears and tail all gave a twitch that those close to him knew denoted nerves or embarrassment. Kasey saw the gesture and he was smirking at Spencer now, humor dancing in his eyes. "You all right there, Boss?" He asked teasingly.

Logan snorted out a laugh. "I think you flustered the boss here, Cajun."

"Shut up." Spencer growled at them all. He couldn't help how he looked over towards Remy, his blush only getting worse, but what he found wasn't what he'd expected. Remy wasn't watching all of them. He was looking around the room and his look wasn't casual. It wasn't the gaze of someone just taking things in. No, it was much sharper than that, despite the casual air the man was trying to project. Spencer watched him just a moment longer, lips curving up with his amusement, before he cleared his throat. The sound brought Remy's gaze upwards and Spencer met him stare for stare. He knew his amusement was showing on his face. "You keep looking around like that and I'm going to start to believe you're here for less than altruistic reasons, Gambit."

Remy spread his hands out and opted for an innocent smile. "Don't know what y' mean, _homme_."

"Mm hm. Somehow, I find that hard to believe. When a Master Thief starts casing my electronic hub, I tend to get just slightly worried." There was humor in his eyes, though, and a ghost of a smile on his lips. He saw Remy startle a little and he knew what had surprised him. "What, you thought you were the only one who could research someone? I know you've done your homework on me and my business, even in the short time since we parted. What makes you think I haven't done my research into either of you, or any of those people out there?" With that pronouncement, Spencer turned back towards Kasey, satisfied by the slightly stunned look he left on Remy's face. "We were just here to retrieve a laptop, anyways. Kasey, if you could find him a laptop, we can all go back out to the conference room."

A light telepathic touch reached at the edge of Spencer's shields. He recognized the feel of McKenna and he opened himself up to her. _/Yes, Kenna?/_

_/There's someone here with a food delivery/_McKenna sent to him.

Oh! He'd forgotten all about that. _/There's cash on the front desk that I put there just for that purpose. Sorry, I forgot. I ordered some food for us all to eat while we talk. If you don't mind taking it in, just go ahead and tell everyone to settle in and eat. We'll be out there shortly/_

_/Of course. No problem, Boss/_ she sent back. The touch drew back and she was gone once more.

Spencer pulled back from the mental conversation and found that Kasey had found a laptop and had brought it over to Remy. He had also set down another laptop on the table and was going to gather up a box from over by the printer. "I printed up hard copies of things here for you to be able to pin up, Boss." Kasey was saying to him as he gathered up the box. "But if you'd like, that stack of tablets you and Garcia ordered finally came in and I've got them all set up. There's not enough for everyone but there's enough for about two-to-three per tablet. It'll let the others get caught up on what we've got a little bit faster."

"That sounds fine, Kasey. So long as you've got hard copies for me, I don't care what you guys use." Spencer said.

Grinning, Kasey set his box down and moved over to grab another one, the one that Spencer could see held the tablets. As he brought that over, he flashed his grin to Logan and Remy. "Boss prefers things old-school when he looks at them. He's sort of anti-technology."

"I am not!" Spencer protested immediately. "I just think easier when I can spread it all out in front of me. I can't do that with your computers. Not the way I can with my papers." He saw they were all chuckling at him now and he scowled at them. Reaching out, he grabbed the box of folder. "If you're done laughing at me, maybe we can all get out there and get back to work?"

He could still hear snickers behind him as they all left the room.


	12. Chapter 12

_Here, guys. It's not as long as the other but I hope you like it. :) An thank you Hissy, Shadow Stalker, Anju Makaa, Tempest103, and IntoTheWilds for your reviews :) I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter and thank you so very much for taking the time to let me know. I've been a little worried I was losing people with the whole AU-ness of this story, lol. Good to see you're still here ;)_

* * *

When the group returned to the conference room they found everyone spread out at the table eating the Thai food that Spencer had ordered. The general air around the room was much more relaxed than it had been when he'd left. Whatever had happened in here while he was gone, these people had somehow made some sort of peace. Even Sean looked a little more relaxed than he had before. He caught Tanya's eye as he came in and she winked at him, making him chuckle. So that was what had happened. Tanya was extremely good at using her skills to help diffuse tension and ease relations between people. She'd learned that during her years as a school counselor. If she could calm a group of teenagers that were hell bent on hating one another, then a group like this should've been a cakewalk. 'Thanks' he mouthed to her. She just smiled.

There were only a few startled looks when they walked in and others saw Kasey coming in with them. Spencer took a moment to introduce them all, giving Kasey's name and then listing the others for him. Kasey gave a small wave of hello.

Remy and Logan made their way back to their previous seats. When Remy sat, he put the laptop on the table in front of him and pulled it open. Before he could get started, Spencer stepped up to the table and reached across it, putting his hand on the top of the laptop screen, drawing the Cajun's eyes upwards and catching the attention of the rest of the room. Spencer ignored the others and just looked right at Remy. "Make sure that your files are all you're going after." He warned him lightly. He smiled with just the barest hint of fang. "I'd rather not have to hurt a friend."

"Is dat what we are, cher?" Remy purred, drawling out the last word so that it came out like a caress against Spencer's ears.

Despite how much he'd tried to convince himself that he was going to ignore any flirting from Remy, it was hard to resist when it was put right out there in the open that way. _Control yourself_! His mind snapped at him. He bit off what he wanted to say and instead settled for "Maybe. And I'd like to keep it that way. So, behave, please?"

Remy's smile grew a little. "Remy never could resist a pretty face. He'll behave, cher. Promise."

Spencer drew his hand back from the computer. "Thank you." As he straightened up, he looked around at everyone else, most of whom were still eating. He ignored the amused or knowing looks he received from a few of them and he focused on work instead. "All of you go ahead and keep eating. I'm just going to start getting some things put together over here. Kasey, go ahead and sit down and eat something."

"I can come help you, Boss." Kasey offered eagerly.

"You can eat." Spencer countered. His voice was kind, though. He lifted a hand and stroked it over Kasey's shoulder as he passed him by.

Putting together the basics was easy for Spencer to do. The first thing he did was take over the box that he'd carried from the Kennel and he set it down with the others on the table. He spent a few minutes opening up the boxes and sorting out all the files inside, stacking them into appropriate piles for later use. Behind him he could hear the others talking, exchanging stories from the sound of it. At the moment it sounded like Tanya was telling them her story. His eyebrows went up in surprise at that. While she wasn't shy about it, she didn't usually openly share it. But that's what she was telling them. She was at the point where Spencer came into the room and she saw him for the first time. He tuned the story out and focused back on the work. Let them talk like this. Maybe if they got to know one another a little better they'd work together easier. If the X-Men were going to help them with Orion, this was going to take more than one meeting, and it would all be easier if they got along with one another.

When Spencer got done with the files, he moved on to the map next and started on marking all the locations on their new map. The already marked map was still put away, so he used his memory to draw up all the locations and mark them on this one. He was only halfway through when the others finally turned their attention towards work. Some of them were still eating but that didn't seem to matter. The atmosphere of the room changed and the easy going air was gone. They were all bringing their minds back to work, now.

Scott rose from the table and made his way over to where Spencer was. "What are you marking there, Stalker?"

"Locations of various Orion buildings, known places they legally operate out of, and all the abductions that we've confirmed are from them." He pushed in the last pin, marking off the places that they'd learned about from tonight's rescue. Tanya had spoken with the people and found out where they'd been taken from. That gave another location to put on the map. Finished with those, Spencer looked up at Scott. "Are there any places on here that you know of that we don't already have marked?"

Scott looked over his shoulder. "Remy?"

The Cajun rose from the table and came over, carrying the laptop on one arm. He tapped a few keys and did something there, looking between his laptop screen and the map. His eyes flashed back and forth between the two, most likely comparing information, Spencer figured. "Y' got all de legal business up dere." Remy finally said. "De abductions, we aint got not'ing to add to. What we've got is warehouses, buildings dey're quietly connected to, t'ings like dat."

"Can you give them to me?" Spencer asked. He reached for a new set of colored pins, white this time, and looked back to Remy.

A nod from Scott and Remy started to list off the different places. Spencer marked each one as Remy told him. When he was done, their map looked brightly colored with all the different pins marking it. But Spencer stared at it and drew it all in. A few gaps that he'd noticed before in their information were starting to fill in for him now. But it also brought home in a rather blunt way just how big of a target they were up against here. A hush fell over the room as everyone took in all the markers up on that map.

"Jesus." Lilo breathed out. "They're _everywhere_."

"How the hell are we supposed to stop someone that big?" Bobby asked quietly.

Spencer kept staring at the map, his eyes darting from here to there while he drew it all in. "Very, very carefully." He answered in an absent sort of voice.

"They're not invincible." Tanya spoke up. "We can stop them."

Liam nodded his agreement. "Tanya is correct." He said in that slow, deep voice of his. "They are not the only large group that we have gone after, though they are the largest. The theory is still the same, however. To stop them, we will need to dismantle them. It is the only way. We need to cripple them so that they cannot recover."

"And how were you planning on doing that?" Rogue demanded. Her gaze swept the room, taking them all in. "You want to put us against all of _that_?" With one hand she gestured to the map.

"You think we sshould just walk away?" Sean asked.

"No! But I think we need to be realistic about it!" She lifted her hand again and pointed at the map. "Look at all those markers. They're a big time business. They aint gonna go down easily."

Zac leaned forward, arms resting on the table, and he frowned down at her. "We never suggested they would. You forget that we've done this before, a lot. This isn't our first rodeo."

Those words had Spencer's eyebrows furrowed down. He'd been content to let them debate back and forth for now while he organized the information from the map inside of his mind, but those words had him a little confused. Their first rodeo? He looked back towards them and it was Lilo who caught his gaze and started grinning. "Figure of speech, Boss." He explained. "It means it's not the first time we've done this."

"What does that have to do with rodeos?" Spencer asked.

Lilo's grin grew a little more. "Not a thing."

Shaking his head, Spencer turned back to the map, missing the amused looks that were spreading around the room. "People should just say what they mean. It would make life so much simpler." He grumbled quietly to himself.

As the room behind him started to debate about how they might be able to go about stopping this group, even arguing about some of those points, Spencer zoned them out. He looked at the map in front of him and let the profiler come to the forefront. He stood there staring and thinking for quite a long time until a hand on his shoulder drew him partially out of his thoughts. He recognized Tanya beside him without having to look. Her hand slid along his shoulder to the back of his neck where she scratched absently at the fur there at the base of his skull. He leaned just a little towards her and he let out a sigh. "This isn't going to be easy." He told her softly.

"It never is." Tipping her head, she rested it on his shoulder. "Talk it out for me. What've we got here?"

He drew in a breath and blew it out carefully. Time to organize his thoughts. He only vaguely noticed the others going quiet. His team had heard Tanya and they knew what was coming so they fell silent in preparation. Seeing the others go quiet, the X-Men did too. All eyes were on Spencer and Tanya as Spencer spun out for her what he saw in his head.

"Orion is a big corporation." He told her, looking at all the markers on the map. "Taking them down isn't going to be easy. They've got multiple offices, spread out across the United States, and top of the line security at each one. Why wouldn't they? They're a security business. They've also got employees that lean more towards mercenaries than security guards. Going after one building of theirs would be a dangerous thing that would take quite a bit of planning. But we can't go after just one small building. If we want to put a stop to them, Liam is right, we need to cripple them."

"So how do we do it?" Tanya asked him.

Spencer bit his lip and looked between a couple different markers. Various ideas were swirling around in his head, thought out and discarded as he came across each one. There were only a few that had any chance of working with the people and resources that they had. "We won't be able to just take them out. There's no way we could stand against them. They're too big, too strong, for us to take them out head on. We're going to have to be underhanded about this."

"How so, Boss?" Abigail asked.

"We'll have to be smart." Spencer said. He turned and Tanya turned with him so that they were looking back at the room. Amber eyes swept over the people there. "They're stronger than us, by far, so we need to be smarter than them. If we go in and destroy their buildings, they'd just rebuild. If we took out a warehouse or two, it'd set them back but not destroy them. We need to use our minds and find a way to take them out of the picture completely—and I think I may know a way. According to our information, these people are already on the FBI's radar, the Bureau just hasn't been able to prove anything. If we help their case along, do what various agencies have been unable to do, we can topple the organization completely. All it would take is the right information to the right people."

His team didn't seem surprised by his words. Spencer could seem them all thinking about it, weighing it in their minds. It was the X-Men that he thought might have protests to that. He was wrong. None of them looked surprised by his idea at all. If anything, he was getting a few nods of agreement from them. Hank even said "It would certainly take them out of the picture."

"What about the people they've been taking?" Jean asked. "They've been traveling, taking mutants, from the look of your map there. I don't think the Bureau will do much for them."

"No shit." Lilo said with a disgusted snort.

"We'd have to split our efforts." Logan said, drawing eyes to him. He was kicked back in his chair, an unlit cigar between his teeth. "Getting the information to take these guys down while finding out where they're keeping the kids and rescuing em."

"So we're supposed to get together enough information to take down a giant corporation while at the same time trying to find out where they're keeping a group of mutants?" Bobby asked.

"Before they sell them." Darcy added in.

Bobby let out a low whistle. "That's a hell of a goal."

"But one we can accomplish." Scott said. He moved to stand by Spencer's side and there was an aura of command there that Spencer had seen on plenty of leaders before. Aaron had carried that same air around him. It was one that drew people's eyes and had them listening to his words. Scott's voice was firm and steady as he addressed the room. "The idea is a good one, but it's not going to be easy. We're going to have to work hard at this. It'll be dangerous. This group is big enough that we're going to have to watch ourselves to make sure that they aren't coming after us. The minute we pit ourselves against them, we're going to become targets. All of us have to be prepared for that. But I believe we can do it. With the right planning, we could take these people down."

"We should call the Professor in." Jean suggested to her husband.

Almost instantly Spencer shook his head. "No. Absolutely not."

The vehemence with which he spoke drew all eyes to him. "Excuse me?" Jean asked.

Spencer stayed firm underneath the curious looks. "He's not stepping one wheel in this building."

"Do you know the Professor?" Jean asked him.

Spencer's lip curled up a little and his tail gave a sharp twitch behind him. "We've never personally met, so to speak, and I'd rather like to keep it that way, if you don't mind." At the stunned looks around him, he smothered a sigh. "He and I don't see eye to eye on certain things."

"He never mentioned knowing you." Hank said.

"That's because he doesn't know Stalker." Here was a moment of truth. They'd demanded so much trust from these X-Men; it was time to extend a little trust in return. Besides, it was only a matter of time before they made the connation anyways. Much better that he did it on his terms. Spencer sighed out a breath and prepared himself. Then he reached inside and he flipped that internal switch. When he opened his eyes again, everyone was staring at him, his own team included. But what was very telling was that the X-Men didn't look the least bit surprised. In that moment Spencer knew he was right—they'd researched him on the way over and they'd made the obvious connections. They'd come in here knowing who he really was and that he was ex-FBI. Spencer lifted his chin a little and if he'd still been feline, his tail would've been twitching once more. "Your Professor knows me this way, as Dr. Spencer Reid. I met him on a case while I was still working at the FBI, and he and I discovered that we have quite a difference of opinion on some things. I have no issues with you teleconferencing with him from here, but I will not entertain him inside of my building."

There was a long moment of quiet in the conference room. No one seemed to know quite what to say. Finally it was broken by the sound of Scott clearing his throat. "We're not going to get this all planned out tonight." He told everyone, glossing right past Spencer's change and bringing them back around to work. "We've had a long night and we're all tired. I suggest we separate for the night to give us all time to rest and think and reconvene with fresh eyes tomorrow. Does that work for you, Dr. Reid?"

The use of his title had Spencer flushing just a little. Without the fur to hide it, everyone saw. He lifted his chin and tried to ignore it. "It does. It's the weekend, so we're closed for business tomorrow. Just come back to where Zac showed you earlier and we can get started. Say, eight?"

"That's fine for us." Scott agreed.

Everyone started to move then, rising from their chairs and gathering their empty food containers. For a few minutes the room was busy with everyone throwing their garbage away and gathering up coats and then the X-Men were moving over towards the door. Spencer just stood where he was, with Tanya still at his side, and he watched as everyone started to leave. He was a little surprised when Remy stopped in front of him, holding out the laptop. "Here, cher. Y' can have dis back. Everyt'ing dat we got on dem is on dere, now, so y' can add it to everyt'ing else. I downloaded it all fo' y'."

"Thank you." Spencer took the laptop from him and held it under one arm.

Remy looked at him over top his sunglasses and the look there had Spencer shivering slightly. "Y'r very welcome, _mon ami_." With one final smirk that held a wealth of promise to it, Remy turned and joined his team as they headed out the door.

Spencer watched as Remy leave and he gave a small shake of his head. "That man is dangerous." He murmured lowly.

Beside him, Tanya chuckled. "Bless his heart for it."

* * *

In the car on their way to find a hotel, the X-Men were quietly discussing the evening. It was Bobby who pointed out something that they'd all noticed. "You know," He told them, shifting in his seat to better be able to see them all. "I don't think I've ever seen or heard of so many mutants in one place that have a visible mutation. Not since the, well, the Morlocks." He cast a quick, almost nervous look over to Remy.

Logan was the only one to notice the slight tension that grew in Remy. Discreetly, using the shadows of the car as cover, he slid one hand over to his friend and laid it on the back of his neck. Remy's tension was easy to feel there. It faded a little, though, under Logan's touch. Satisfied with that for now, Logan looked back at the others. "It makes sense." He said. "Those people in there, they're all people he's rescued, right? Well, aint it usually the visible mutants that get taken? Makes sense that they all have something that shows, then."

"But what on earth inspired a Fed to go around rescuing all of them?" Rogue asked. Her words weren't unkind, just confused. "I mean, okay, I get it, he's a mutant too. An that's a whole ton of strange I haven't even touched on. But if these people are the team he uses to take down these traffickers, and he rescued all of them, that means that he started out on his own. How'd a mutant fed get started secretly hunting mutant traffickers?"

"I do not know, but I applaud him for it." Hank put in. He was up front, driving the car.

"Why don't y' ask him?" Remy suggested dryly. He tipped his head back, resting it against Logan's hand, and rolled it just enough to be able to look over at her. A lazy smile touched his lips. "Dere's lots of reasons. We don't know a whole hell of a lot about him. An hour wasn't really dat long fo' me to find out about dis place and its people. Maybe de man got taken when he was younger, or someone he loved was taken by traffickers. Maybe he got tired of seeing de prejudice at work, or maybe he came across some mutant traffickers while working and he just had to help. Dere's too many possibilities. Y' wanna know, y' should try asking. He'll probably tell y'."

"He'd probably tell _you_." Jean said teasingly. Even in the dark car it was easy to see the humor on her face. "He looks quite fond of you, sweetie."

Remy didn't even deny it. His grin grew just a bit more devilish. "Dat's cause no one can resist Remy."

The car filled with laughter as the group's tension dissolved and they turned to teasing.


	13. Chapter 13

Morning found the group together once more. Being the weekend, there was no reason for the business to be open, so it was easy for them to gather bright and early in the conference room. The X-Men arrived to find Spencer's team already hard at work for the day. They had their information spread all through the conference room and they were working in various places. Some were over by the map, a few were making phone calls, and others were over by Kasey at the conference table, looking at the laptop in front of him and pointing and discussing whatever they saw there.

Spencer was the one to look up and see as McKenna escorted the X-Men in. He was in his feline form and his ears perked up slightly at the sight of them all. He gave a little half wave at the group before his attention was pulled back to his phone. "No, no, that's not what I want." He said, pacing off to the far side of the room. "I just need the information. Nothing more, you hear? Of course." Sighing, he rolled his eyes, lips quirking up in a reluctant grin. He reached out and picked up a coffee mug off the table. He used it to gesture to the coffee point, giving the others a look that clearly let them know he was inviting them to help themselves, and then he took a drink. When he finished, he started to nod, though the person on the phone couldn't see him. "Yes, that's wonderful. Thanks, Victor. Yes, yes. The usual place? Of course. Yeah, in your dreams, old man." With a laugh, he hung the phone up, pocketing it with a shake of his head.

He hadn't stopped to think about the enhanced hearing of one of his guests, nor of how they might react to just who was on the phone, so it surprised him when he looked up and found Logan glaring at him. That glare was full of both surprise and disgust. "I'd know that foul voice anywhere." Logan snarled out. "You called _Creed_?"

His furious voice was drawing the attention of the whole room. Spencer watched the X-Men all tense at Logan's words and he resisted sighing. He really should've known this would happen and prepared for it. Any idiot out there knew that Wolverine and Sabretooth were two you didn't want to put anywhere near one another. Best to get this over with and try and explain. "I did." Spencer straightened himself up and carefully set his mug down so that his hands would be free just in case. He met Logan's stare head on and refused to be cowed by the temper there. "I don't like him any more than you do, Logan, but he's a good source of information—for the right price. He'll find out what I need to know."

"There's got to be better ways to get information than dealing with Creed." Bobby said with a disgusted curl of his lip.

"Other ways, yes. Better ways? I don't think so." Spencer said. "With the work he's done and the connections he has, he can get quite a lot more information than the average person. It comes with a risk, of course. Dealing with him always does. But I consider the risk worth it. Any information I've ever paid him for has always been good." Considering the subject done, Spencer picked up his mug once more and moved over towards the map, putting his back to them and effectively ending that part of the conversation. "We need to figure out how it is we're going to get the information that we need on them. If we want to accomplish both goals, we need to start to understand our enemy. That begins with information gathering."

There was a moment of hesitation and then Spencer heard Scott move up with him as the field leader said "We've got calls out to our own contacts."

"Good, good. We need to gather as much information as possible and then put it together into a comprehensive profile. Once we've got it all gathered together, I can look at it and figure out what we need to gather to make a case. I've also placed a call in to one of my people at the Bureau and they've agreed to send me over the information they have on Orion so I can compare their information with ours and see what exactly it is we need to fill in."

"It msut come in handy, having Bureau contacts to call on so easily." Jean commented.

Spencer shrugged one shoulder almost negligently. His mind was already speeding ahead on things and he was only vaguely aware of the conversation he was having. He spoke in an almost absent fashion. "It does come in handy. In my years at the Bureau I cultivated quite a few different contacts in different departments as well as with different agencies. I've managed to maintain quite a few of those relationship since my separation from the Bureau."

"Other agencies?" Hank said the words with a curious tone. "You have connections to multiple agencies, Dr. Reid? Or, do you prefer Stalker whilst here?"

"When I'm like this I go by Stalker out where anyone else can hear. But amongst friends, Reid or Spencer works fine." Spencer answered. He turned back around from the map and his eyes sought out Hank. He smiled at the man, seeing the open curiosity on Hank's face without a single hint of animosity or suspicion. "And yes, I've been connected to quite a few places over the years. I assume that you all did your research on me since we last spoke?" He looked to Remy, who smirked at him, and that was answer enough. "I thought so. If you did your research, you know that I've a rather high IQ and quite a few degrees to my name. Those attracted quite a bit of attention over the years and I've been brought in for various reasons to consult at different agencies during my career. Since my separation from the Bureau, some of those people who used me as a resource before wish to continue to do so. That's one of the services we offer here."

"Mostly, we're profilers for hire." Darcy interjected as she came over and joined them.

"How does that work?" Bobby asked them. "Profiling, I mean. I don't know if I really get it. You just look at stuff and figure out things about the person you're looking for?"

Amusement tickled the back of Spencer's throat and he had to swallow down his laugh. "That's one way of putting it." Maybe there was a way to kill two birds with one stone here. Answer Bobby's question while getting them on track with what they needed to be doing. Spencer scanned the room around him and then brought his eyes back to the X-Men. "Why don't you guys have a seat and we'll give you a practical demonstration? We were going to discuss our profile anyways. You can all sit in and ask your questions or add your input while we do, and you can learn what it is that we know about the trafficking side of things."

It took a few minutes for everyone to get settled around the table. Spencer perched in his seat almost lazily, his folders spread out in his lap and on the table in front of him. Everyone else was gathered over the tablets that Kasey had handed out. At the same time, he had the big screen going, and Spencer was reminded once again of being back at work in the round table room. He felt a pang for his friends. What were they doing right now? Were they working a case? Or were they having their own meeting, discussing an up and coming case? Maybe they were on the jet, flying home. Or already at home and enjoying a relaxing weekend. He missed them in that moment with a strength that shook him.

Tanya must've sensed there was something with him at the moment because she started up the meeting for him. "All right, let's take a look at what we know about Orion and how they operate." She slid her finger across the screen of the tablet she held. "They're very professional and efficient about their acquisitions. The team they send out is skilled and efficient."

"They don't spend any more than a week at the most in a place." Lilo said. He settled back in his seat, one hand reaching out to pick up his mug off the table. "They go in, take as many as they can, dump the ones that don't work, and move on."

One part of that seemed to catch for the X-Men. "What do you mean, don't work?" Rogue asked.

A grimace crossed Spencer's features. He brushed some of his hair back from his face to give himself just a second to gather control. When he spoke, his voice was calm and steady. "People we've rescued have told us that the group that takes them gathers them all together, frequently in a storage container like we saw in Eugene, or in a cab of a semi, or something of the like. One member of the team is there for the sole reason of starting the training immediately. If someone fights too hard, if they're too dangerous to hold, they're systematically tortured in an attempt to break them. If that fails, they're killed and dumped."

That brought silence around the table for a moment. Everyone sat quietly while the words sank in. Spencer blinked his eyes to try and clear away the images that tried to spring to life. Getting lost in thought about those poor souls he'd seen, the photos and bodies he'd looked at, would do him no good right now. Clearing his throat, he tried to clear away the emotion as well and get himself back to the steadiness he'd had before. He had to be in control here. How many times had Aaron's steadiness helped the rest of the team keep their composure and keep strong? Now it was his job to do it for these people. Spencer straightened up a little more in his seat and unconsciously lifted his chin and he continued on with their discussion. "Once they get a full truck, they meet up in a city with someone from their company and they switch out trucks, passing off the full one in exchange for an empty one, and with the empty one they continue on while the full one is taken…somewhere."

"It's that somewhere that we need to figure out." Scott said. He, too, looked like he'd drawn himself up. There was an aura of strength and command about him that showed his natural leadership. This was someone well used to leading people." Is there a warehouse that they take them to and hold them until it's time for auction?"

"Not that we know of." Darcy answered.

Remy leaned forward to look at the tablet that Lilo, who was on his left, was holding out for them. He looked at the images there, flipping through a few of them. "What's de procedure for once dey get an auction going?"

"Every group runs that part of things differently." Tomas said. "There's no real way to tell how Orion runs it, not without speaking to someone who went through it." He spread his hands out and looked around at the others, clearly encompassing them all with his gesture. "None of us here came from an Orion group."

Abigail stuck a hand up in the air, drawing eyes towards her. "I went straight from capture to the auction block." She said, dropping her hand back down. "They only held me in storage for a few days, max, before I was put up for sale."

"I was knocked out when I was picked up and I woke up in the cells at the fight ring." Lilo added in. His tone was almost hard and his wore the mask he'd perfected that hid the pain he let so few see.

"I woke in my pen." Liam said in that low, deep voice of his. His words surprised Spencer, who looked quickly to him. Liam very rarely talked about this. He didn't even like to talk about it with Spencer. But he looked at them now with his spine straight and his head held high with the pride that had helped him survive for so long. "They attacked me on the streets late one night and drugged me. I woke to find myself held down in shackles inside of a cage at the show. There was no auction that I was aware of, but there is no telling what happened while I was unconscious, or even how long I was unconscious for."

Though Liam wasn't all that fond of touch on a good day, there were times that he appreciated it, even if he did flinch from it. Now was one of those times. He flinched when Abigail reached over and put her small hand into his, yet he didn't pull away. He curled his fingers around hers and looked down to find her smiling up at him. He gave his own small smile in return. If there was anyone other than Spencer that Liam was close to, it would be Abigail. Most often than not he seemed to treat her like a daughter and she definitely looked up to him and cared for him like a father or an uncle.

Tanya took up the conversation, effectively taking the attention away from the private exchange between those two. "Every group is different, but there are always similarities. Orion is more organized than any other we've dealt with, but they do have their own pattern even if they try not to."

"This is only their second run since we started watching them a year ago. One other run isn't enough for us to know if there's a pattern, Boss." Kasey pointed out.

Spencer nodded his agreement. "You're right. What we need to do is get more information about their past runs and auctions." Why hadn't he thought of that before? They'd been so caught up in watching what was happening now and trying to find out everything they could about the current activities of Orion when they should've been trying to look into their past. The more they knew about their past, the more they could learn about their present. "We should call our various contacts again, looking for information about things in the past, not current situations. If we can learn _how_ they do things, we might be able to predict what they're going to do now. But we need to do it quickly. If they follow their pattern from the last run we charted, there should be an auction coming up in the next couple weeks."

"Do we know anything at all about their auctions?" Logan asked.

"A little." Darcy said. "But groups like this, they're smart, they change things up each time."

"Is that where we plan on relieving them of the people they've taken? At the actual auction?" Hank asked them. He looked right down to Spencer, making it clear who his question was meant for.

That was something Spencer had been thinking about quite a bit. He'd thought about it through the night and it seemed to be the only real option for them. "It's our best bet." He finally said. "It's the only time that every bit of 'merchandise' is in the same area. From what we've heard, they're smart enough to store the people in different places so that if anything happens they won't lose everything in one sweep. The only time they're all together is for the actual auction."

"Which is why security at auctions is always insane." Lilo said wryly. He laid the tablet down on the table and leaned back in his chair. "It's going to take a lot of planning if we want to crash one."

"Well we've got the people with which to do it for once." Tanya said, looking down to the X-Men with a smile.

"Damn right." Logan growled. He flashed a sharp grin at them. "We'll take these bastards down."

"We should figure out what we're up against before we start getting cocky." Scott said dryly. "What are their teams like on their 'acquisition runs'?"

Spencer listened with half an ear as his team started to explain what little they knew about how Orion dealt with gathering up the people they stole. Most of his attention was on the people around him; not their words, but their faces, their body language. He watched the X-team to try and understand how they all worked together. Profiling them all was a sort of instinctive thing. Profiling while in feline form always gave him a bit more information, too. He noticed not only body language this way, but scent changes, changes in breathing patterns, and other little things that his normal senses couldn't pick up on. Like the way that Jean's scent changed when she was around her husband, or how it spiked occasionally when she looked at Logan. Or how Rogue's scent warmed a little when she looked at Bobby sometimes, or how it could go sharp when looking at Remy while at the same time leaking pheromones. Lust and anger all rolled into one around him, according to her scent, yet her body language added another layer. She cared for him, yes, and it showed in the way she relaxed as she was around him, but it was nothing compared to the way she was around Bobby. She leaned in towards him, turning towards him when he spoke, smiled a little more when he spoke. Spencer would bet she had at least a crush on the Iceman, even if neither one of them knew it.

Hank was an interesting one to watch. His emotions were there to see, his distress at the harm done to another human being, yet Spencer recognized the look of a scientist to the man, someone who was studying everything he saw with an almost clinical eye. He felt things just as strongly as everyone else, there was no denying that, but he had the ability to view things like a scientist. To step back and look at facts and information and force aside his emotions.

Scott wore the mantle of leader around his people and Spencer could see how much he worked to keep that persona firmly in place. Yet there were little things that gave away his feelings. A tightness to his words, a slight tension in his body, little things that said he was more upset and much angrier about what he saw than he was letting on. Spencer caught it in his scent, too, when Scott passed by him to go fill his coffee cup. There was a jagged edge to it that was only there with temper.

Hours passed as they sat in there talking and going over every bit of information they had. As the day wore on, they didn't even break for meals, simply ordering in and eating around the table. Morning turned to afternoon and afternoon to night.

The conversation at the table switched to talk about the torture once more and those few poor souls that were dumped and killed. Photos were pulled up onto the main screen on the wall, crime scene photos that had more than a few of the X-Men blanching. It was obvious they weren't used to dealing with this aspect of things. However, if they wanted to help here, they had to see what they were up against. They had to see what these people were capable of.

There was one person in particular that drew Spencer's attention, though, as the photos were played on the screen. One person who was very obviously distressed by what he saw and who was fighting so damn hard to hide it. Remy.

Though it didn't show on the outside, they were close enough that Spencer could catch it in his scent. He drew in a breath, carefully filtering out the other scents, focusing on the one his mind had already labeled as 'Remy'. Spencer tipped his head, letting his hair screen his face for a moment so that his gaze was hidden, allowing him to discreetly watch Remy without fear of being caught at it. Now that he was looking, he saw other things that worried him. There was a slight tightness to Remy's eyes and just a slight bruising underneath them that suggested he hadn't slept well last night, or for a few nights. That was something Spencer could understand and sympathize with.

Abruptly Remy pushed away from the table and rose to his feet in one of those graceful moves that Spencer found himself constantly admiring. He completely ignored the conversation still going and he made his way over towards the door. Spencer wasn't ashamed to admit he watched that leggy, hip rolling walk with an appreciative eye. The man sure knew how to _move_.

No one seemed to notice Remy's exit. Conversation was still going strong between everyone and no one was staying perfectly still. Darcy was over by the coffee, preparing another cup. Rogue was sitting up straighter and gesturing expansively as she spoke. Kasey was up and pacing, his laptop balanced on one arm.

Spencer waited just a few minutes before he, too, rose from his seat. Whereas Remy had exited without notice, Spencer exit earned him a few looks from his team as he passed them and he made a small gesture with his hand, their silent sign they used in the field to let each other know that things were okay. It was his way of letting them know he was fine. They relaxed at that and turned their attention back to where Scott and Tanya were still debating something and Spencer was free to silently slip out the door, not noticing the sharp blue eyes that watched him go.

Even if he hadn't been able to follow Remy's scent trail, it still would've been easy to find the man. He left things open that clearly showed his path. He was out behind the building, leaning against the wall and tucked into the shadows. It was his route there that had Spencer slightly amused. Instead of going out the front door and slipping around the building, the thief had gone through the interview room and out the window. Spencer easily navigated the dark room using the moonlight as his guide. He slipped silently up to the window and gracefully sank down onto the couch that was there. He folded his arms on the sill and lowered his head to rest on them. One quick look showed him Remy just ahead in the dark, leaning against one of the trees that sheltered the windows back here and smoking his cigarette. To the average eye, the cherry at the end of his cigarette would've been the only thing to give him away. He was curved to the side of the tree just out of the moonlight where the shadows kept him hidden. In this form, Spencer had no trouble seeing him. He watched him for a moment before shifting a little and deliberately making just a bit of noise.

Sure enough, Remy's head snapped his direction and one hand drifted down to his pocket, that tiny sound alerting him to the fact that he had company. When he saw who it was, his pose relaxed a little and his hand fell away from his pocket. He shifted, turning to face the window instead of away from it. A hint of humor ghosted over his face and his lips curved upwards in a flirtatious smile. "Someone's living up to deir name. Are y' stalkin' Remy, Stalker?"

"If I was, you made it easy enough." Spencer teased him.

"Who says Remy was tryin' to hide from y'?"

That brought a chuckle from Spencer. He tipped his head a little and rested his cheek against his arm, getting comfortable in his seat. He drew his legs up and his tail swished lazily in the air behind him. "Something tells me you'd be quite the challenging prey if you put your mind to it."

Remy twisted a little more towards the window and brought his cigarette up to his lips. "Sounds like fun."

How was it that the man could make everything sound like a proposition? That was one heck of a talent. Then again, Spencer knew he'd left himself open for that comment. He should've known that Remy wouldn't be able to resist turning it dirty. Besides, he couldn't deny the truth of Remy's words. The idea of playing predator and prey set off a thrill deep inside of Spencer. He could picture it so easily. Setting Remy free somewhere and chasing after him, hunting him, stalking him through the woods, following that tantalizing scent until he finally found him, but not too soon. Oh, no, he'd let Remy run for a while, let them both build up a sweat, get their hearts pumping. It would make it all the sweeter when he finally caught up to him and pounced, taking him down, pinning him to the forest floor and laying his claim right then and there, taking him and marking him…A shiver ran down Spencer's spine and he had to forcibly yank his thoughts away from there. It didn't help that, when he looked up, Remy was watching him so intently, almost like he could see down in Spencer, see what he was thinking.

This was getting into dangerous territory. Spencer clenched down tightly on that darker part of himself and he shoved it down inside to be looked at later. He reminded himself of why he'd followed Remy out here to begin with. "Fun as all that sounds, I actually came out here to see how you were doing. You looked a little stressed back there."

In the blink of an eye the open and flirtatious look on Remy's face changed, becoming a little cockier, a little more closed off. It was subtle; Spencer might not have noticed if he hadn't been paying attention. But he was paying close attention and he knew that Remy had just locked his shields down tight over himself. "Remy's fine, cher. Don't y' worry bout him."

So that was how he was going to play this? Spencer debated for a moment on whether or not to just let him go with that answer or to push a little. It was the memory of that fear-scent from the Cajun that spurred him to push a little more. He chose his words carefully, though. Something told him it wouldn't take much to get Remy to shut down on him completely and just walk away. "Well, you're doing better than I am, then. I've been chasing down these kinds of monsters for years and I still get sick every time I have to see what kinds of things they do."

He'd judged his words just right. Instead of pushing about Remy, he'd used himself as a way to open the conversation, letting himself admit to what Remy might see as a weakness. Instead of feeling pressured to talk about himself, it left Remy free to talk about Spencer, and he seemed to have no trouble with that. His expression turned sympathetic and his voice gentled just slightly. "Y' probably seen a lot of bad shit over de years. Dat's gotta be hard to live wit' some days."

"It can be." Spencer agreed easily. It was the truth. Some days the things that he saw, the things his eidetic memory preserved so perfectly, they haunted him. "The nights can be the worst. For the most part I can push it back during the day and focus on the good I do. But at night, I can't stop it from creeping in to my dreams." He lifted his eyes and fixed them on Remy's face, not knowing how the hint of moonlight in the air reflected off of them, making them shine like amber stones lit by some inner fire. That gaze held Remy in place, pinning him there in a way no one ever had before as they seemed to stare straight down into him. Spencer's voice dropped a little lower, taking on a slight rumble that gave him his words a comforting sound. "There's no shame in being touched by what we see, or in having nightmares, Remy. They're what mark us as different from the people we hunt. They're what make us human."

Held by those burning orbs, Remy couldn't find it in him to lie. Honest words tripped past his lips. "Aint de having nightmares part dat Remy's ashamed of."

That right there told Spencer quite a bit about the man in front of him. The ache in those words, the sour spike of fear and pain that polluted his scent, those were signs that Spencer recognized, things that he had seen in countless victims. It hurt him to see them in Remy. But Spencer kept his emotions under control and made damn sure not to let a single bit of pity leak into him. He knew well enough to know that no one wanted to be pitied. "You don't have to be ashamed of anything in your past, either. Not here. Not with these us. We're the last people who are going to judge you for your past."

"Y' might not say dat if y' knew everyt'ing." Remy drew in another drag off his cigarette and blew the smoke up into the air.

Spencer smiled kindly at him. "Do you really think so? Even after meeting my team, you really think that we'd judge you for anything? Remy, I have a girl on my team who used to fight _against_ the X-Men and who caused serious devastation at her owner's command. I have an ex-assassin that's responsible for more deaths than everyone in that room combined. I've got two people who came from a fight ring that required its fighters to battle to the death, and one of them was there for more than a _year_. I've another who worked in a mutant brothel. Do you really think that anything you've done is going to make us judge you and condemn you?" He shook his head and chuckled. "We all have our demons here. In our group it's not what you've done that matters to us, it's what you do now."

For the very first time since Spencer had met the man he got to see Remy actually look flustered by something. It was obvious that he didn't know what to say or even what to think about Spencer's words. The wonderment on his face said clearly just how people had reacted to the things in his past. Spencer watched him and he decided that enough was enough right now. There was no need to delve more into Remy's past, not in this moment. He'd been pushed as far as he could go right now.

Pushing up on the window, Spencer straightened his body up and stretched ever so slightly as he did. "Well, they're probably wondering where we've gotten to. You ready to head back inside, or would you like to stay out here a little longer? I can make sure no one comes back here to bother you."

Remy didn't answer right away. He stood there for a moment leaning against the tree and just watching him. Then he shook his head and he smiled at Spencer; a real, honest smile, with no flirtation to it and no signs of artifice. "I can see why y' inspire such loyalty in y'r people. Y'r one in a million dere, _mon ami_." He charged his cigarette butt and flicked it into the air where it exploded with a little pop. Then he was moving towards the window. "Let's get back inside."


	14. Chapter 14

Going after a group like Orion wasn't something that could be done overnight. Preparation for that kind of job was something that could take weeks. Between information gathering, scouting missions, and careful surveillance and occasional interrogation, this was a time consuming thing. They weren't going to accomplish their goal in one weekend of working together. They all knew that, and with that in mind they built their plan accordingly. This had to be done very carefully. They had to do as much as they could without drawing too much more attention their way—they'd already drawn enough of that. And they needed to be able to continue with the rest of their lives as well. Spencer and his team had a business to run and Scott and his team had their own missions and such that were still ongoing.

What they finally decided on was simple. The brunt of the work was going to fall to Spencer and his team. They'd already known that going in to this thing. This was their area of expertise and they were the ones with the most connections in this kind of network. But where needed, they would call on the X-Men for support, and all information gathered on either side was going to be shared.

The two places were close enough, being only a two hour trip by car between them, so it was easy for them to separate with the promise to get together if any information needed to be shared, or for any missions.

Separate, the two groups started gathering information. Spencer split his time as evenly as he could between his day job and his side job. He was surprised to find that he had actual work coming in here. Consultations, requests. Not a lot, of course, but enough to keep them going rather steadily during most of their day. During the night, he devoted his time to Orion. To speaking with contacts, meeting various ones in the city, and working from his office to piece together all the information that came in. It became a common sight to find Spencer curled up in his office catching a quick nap between projects. If it wasn't for McKenna, he probably would've forgotten more mundane things like showering and food. Cases had always gripped him and made him forget the world around him. With all this work going on, it was sort of inevitable that other things would fall to the wayside.

Their first hint of a break came just two weeks after that meeting with the X-Men. Spencer had been trying and trying to figure out how to get into one of the Orion buildings and get some information. The only thing stopping him was their security system. It was considered almost impossible to break in. Any attempt would set off the alarms. While there were times that he wasn't adverse to alerting his enemy to what he was doing, they were trying their hardest to fly far underneath the radar right now. The answer came in the form of the one source that Spencer really hated dealing with—Creed. The man called him to let him know he had some information that Spencer might pay handsomely for, and he was demanding a meet.

Spencer knew it was underhanded, but he purposely didn't tell his team about who he was going to meet or even that he was going to meet anyone. None of them were that fond of Creed—they all had their own reasons why, all of them quite valid—and he didn't need anything that would make this meeting any harder than it already was. So he scheduled a time and then carefully slipped away from his friends.

* * *

When Spencer arrived at the meeting place, a dark bar in a rougher part of town, he had to battle back his disgust when he strolled inside. It wasn't the bar itself that was all that bothersome, it was the scent he caught on the air. He was in feline form tonight—there was no way in hell he would ever be dumb enough to meet Creed while human. Unfortunately that meant that he could better smell the alcohol, bad beer, smoke, and the sweat of human flesh as he came in. Those scents were actually part of the reason why both of them had agreed on meeting here. They were both predators in their own right and they both possessed strong survival instincts. Meeting here took one sense off of the list if things ended up going south. There was no way to really scent someone well in here if you got a nose full of those nastier smells.

There was also the benefit that it was public, which forced them to behave at least a little bit, though he knew it didn't really hold Creed back. Nothing did. It also protected Spencer from the other, more negative aspect of his interaction with the feline. Creed was far less likely to try and rip his clothes off in the middle of the bar. He wouldn't be able to resist himself if they were somewhere alone. He'd told Spencer once that there was just something about his scent, something primal, and it called to him to take, to dominate. Spencer had answered that by trying to take Creed's cock off with his claws. The man had laughed.

Spencer got himself a beer from the bar that he knew he wouldn't drink and he carried it with him over towards a corner. Though he was dressed very carefully, he didn't want to risk anyone being able to peek under his hood. That was the last thing he needed. Fighting his way out of the bar was not part of his agenda.

He'd only been sitting there for a few minutes when the doors opened and Creed came strolling in. It was just a bit fascinating to watch him walk in and watch the way that even some of the hardest looking people in the room sort of leaned away from him. Some did it without even really realizing it. There was just something about the man that told you that he was crazy and let you know that he'd have no hesitation in killing you. Like an aura of violence that he carried with him everywhere. It set Spencer's instincts on high alert the same way it did every time.

Creed found him easily enough and strolled right up to the table. He caught the chair, spinning it around to straddle it. He dropped down into it and didn't hesitate to reach out and snatch Spencer's beer, taking a long pull off it. "Hey there, cub."

Rolling his eyes safely in the dark of his hood, Spencer at least managed to resist the urge to snort. Some things never changed. "Hello, Victor."

"That's all I get? Been almost a year since I saw yer ass and all I get is a 'Hello, Victor?' Come on now, cub. I'm hurt."

Spencer tipped his head just enough that he knew Creed would be able to see inside his hood, and then he flashed him a sharp toothed smile. "If you're feeling nostalgic, I could try to disembowel you again, just like last time."

The sharp laugh he let out had more than a few people looking their direction. Most of them turned back away quickly enough. Creed ignored them all and leaned forward, resting one elbow on the table. "We got better memories than that we can recreate."

The leer that accompanied that left no doubt as to what he was referring to. Spencer sat back in his seat and loosely crossed his arms in his lap. "In your dreams, _kitten_." He drawled out the last word deliberately, knowing just how much it annoyed the man. It amused him even more now than it usually did. He'd always heard that Creed hated being called kitten, mostly because there was one Cajun out there who persisted in calling him that. It amused Spencer more than normal to use the insult now that he knew the person who had started it. Now that he could actually picture the insolent look on Remy's face as he said it.

"Why waste time dreaming it when we can make it a reality?" Creed countered.

It was always the same. Spencer found that he didn't have the patience for the somewhat flirtatious, fuck-you, go-to-hell sort of banter they usually indulged in. He let out a sigh and adjusted his cloak a little and he sat up just a bit straight. "If all you've got for me is tired propositions and lewd suggestions, my time's better spent somewhere else." He pressed his hands on the table and rose up to his feet.

He'd known how the man would react. Of course he did. The whole move had been a deliberate play. So it didn't surprise him when a hand darted out and caught his wrist right as he was passing by. He looked down at the hand that held him so tightly and then up to Creed's face. "Don't ya wanna hear what I got to say?" The man demanded.

"If it's another proposition, it's not worth my time." Spencer said dryly.

"What about a name?" Creed said, freezing Spencer in place. "What's that worth?"

"It depends on the name."

Creed grinned up at him, fangs showing maliciously in that smile, and a chill ran down Spencer's spine. The man pulled on his wrist, drawing him down until their faces were just inches apart. "What if I told ya I got the name of the fucker that runs Orion? All of it."

Spencer went completely and utterly still. They hadn't been able to figure out the man behind the organization in any of their research. The person listed was nothing more than a figurehead. The next person they came across had been a smokescreen, basically. If Creed could give him the actual name… "How do I know your information's good?"

The man actually looked offended. "I ever been wrong before?"

He had a point. Spencer debated it for a moment, his mind moving lightning fast as he weighed all his different options and all possible outcomes of this. In the end, he knew what he had to do. He leaned in a little bit closer, just a breath apart, and his amber eyes flashed. "Name your price."

* * *

The next morning, Spencer—in human form—strolled into Catamount Profiling. The very first place he went was to the Kennel. He wasn't surprised to find Kasey already there and at work. "Morning, Kasey." He called out as he entered. "How goes the search?"

"You would not believe the things I'm finding on this guy, Boss." Kasey turned around in his seat and curled his legs up, tucking his bare feet underneath him.

Well, that didn't sound good. Spencer smothered a grimace and walked over to join his friend by his computer. "Is it that bad?"

Kasey shook his head. "The opposite. This guy's, like, the poster child for good." He turned back to the computer and started typing with those rapid-fire keystrokes until things started to appear on the big screen on the wall. Different pictures, articles. "Lionel Garfield has donated to various charities, is on the board of countless companies, and get this…rumor has it the guy's looking to run for a senate position."

"Of course he is." Spencer sighed out a long breath. He resisted rubbing at his head to combat the headache he could already feel starting to brew. "Could the man be any more clichéd? It's like he modeled himself after every annoying Unsub in the movies."

"Right? Hey, you think there's like, some bad guy manual out there or something? Joining the senate has got to be on the list somewhere."

Spencer smothered down a laugh, but he smiled at his friend. "Is there anything we can use on him?"

"A few things. I sent them to the printer in your office so they'll be in there waiting for you."

"Thanks, Kasey."

* * *

The better part of Spencer's morning was spent going over the little information that Kasey was able to get him. Most of it was trivial, unimportant, but there were a few gems in there—including the location of a house that he owned that was very, very carefully hidden. So deep Kasey almost hadn't been able to find it. But whoever did it hadn't counted on someone of Kasey's skill coming after them. The man had dug deep, but he'd found it. Now it was time for Spencer to do something with that information.

He was sitting cross legged on his desk, staring at an evidence board with all this information, including the house address, when Tanya came in. He hadn't even heard her knocking. She walked up to his desk and stood by his knee, her head turned towards the board. "Figured anything out?"

"Not much. Not enough." Spencer murmured. He ran his eyes over it again, lingering on that address. "Not yet, at least."

"You're going to go there." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. She knew him well and she knew how his mind worked. "It'll be dangerous, Spencer. If he worked that hard to keep his address from being found, the security is probably going to be immense. It's going to be hell for you to get in there. You shouldn't go alone."

"I know."

"Is it worth it?" She turned and pinned him with those eyes he always thought saw far too much. "Is what you might find in there worth it?" One of her hands lifted and gentle fingers brushed against a bruise on the side of his neck, tucked towards the back and mostly hidden by his hair. He flinched at the soft touch but didn't look away from her eyes. "Was this worth it?" She asked.

Spencer lifted his chin and swallowed to try and wet a suddenly dry throat. "Yes."

For a moment long she just stared at him. Stared _into_ him. Then she gave a small nod. "Okay. I trust you, Spencer. We all do."

He wished that didn't feel like such a weight on his shoulders sometimes.

For a long time after she left he just sat there and stared at the information in front of him without really seeing it. His mind was busy working through everything and sorting it, organizing it and trying to add it to the whole. How long he sat there, he wasn't sure. But eventually he stirred, focus returning to his eyes once more. Sitting here and thinking was only going to get him so far. They needed information, more information, and there was one place he knew of that might have it. His eyes stared at that address on the board as he reached out with one hand and picked up the phone. His fingers quickly dialed one of the numbers he'd been given recently.

It only took two rings before that smooth, Cajun voice came over the line. "_LeBeau speaking_."

"Remy. It's Spencer."

"_Spencer! What a pleasure to hear from y', cher. What can Remy do fo' y'?_"

"Do you have any plans tonight?"

He heard Remy give a low chuckle. "_Are y' asking dis Cajun on a date?_"

A bit of color touched Spencer's cheeks, but he couldn't help but smile. "I was wondering if you might like to break into a high security home with me tonight. I don't have any clue what the security's going to be like, but I imagine it'll be pretty intense. It's most definitely going to be dangerous."

"_Be still m'heart._" Remy purred at him. "_Remy knew dere was a reason he liked y'. Y' plan a hell of a first date. What time?_"

"Mm. Well, now, that depends. Since I'm buying, would you mind flying?"

"_Sounds fair enough. We making dis a double date, den?_"

Amusement tickled at the back of Spencer's throat. This was turning out to be quite a unique conversation. "It would appear so. The more the merrier, isn't that the saying?"

The sound that Remy made was low and husky, a purred out chuckle that heated Spencer's blood and sent a shiver down his spine at the same time. "_Now Remy don't know about dat. He aint one fo' sharing, y'know?_" Spencer swore he could hear the wink that came at the end of that. Then Remy's voice turned just a little more professional—not much, but a little. "_Y'all meet here tonight, den, an we'll head on out._"

"Sounds good. Does seven work for you?"

"_Works fo' me. See y' den, cher._"

When Spencer hung up the phone, he found he couldn't stop smiling. No matter how many times he told himself to be careful around this Cajun, he kept finding himself drawn in time and time again. To make matters worse, he was loving every minute of it. There was no telling how tonight was going to end up. But there was one thing that Spencer was pretty sure of—it was going to be interesting.


	15. Chapter 15

It came as no real surprise to Remy to find that Spencer was prompt. Of course he was. It just seemed to suit him. At just three minutes to seven a knock on the front doors signaled the man's arrival. Even if Remy hadn't heard the knock from where he was smoking on the back porch—definitely _not_ waiting around like some silly teenager or something—he still would've known about Spencer's arrival. Logan was the one to answer the door and the smart ass turned and cheerfully called out "Hey, Cajun, your date's here!"

Remy rolled his eyes and charged his cigarette butt, flicking it into the air to let it explode with a _pop_. Still, he unconsciously smoothed his hands over his clothes, brushing out the wrinkles and making sure there was no loose ash on him. He'd dressed very deliberately for tonight. How could he not after all that playful flirting on the phone? Once he was sure he was ash-free and well put together, he went to head inside. Remy's eyes drifted over the group waiting for them, taking them in while he was still back enough that no one had noticed him. Logan stood there in the entryway talking with Spencer, who had Lilo and Kasey at his sides.

He had to admit he was surprised when he caught sight of Spencer. With what they were going to do tonight, he'd expected Spencer to come in feline form, but the man standing there was most definitely human. An uncomfortable, slightly awkward human, but human nonetheless. Spencer looked like he'd much rather be anywhere else but here right now. Who could blame him, really? He and his friends were very much the center of attention. No one was even bothering to hide the fact that they were staring. They were doing so right out in the open, leaning against nearby walls or standing in doorways, it looked like pretty much everyone in the house was here, and all of them were looking at the trio in the entryway. In response, Spencer looked wildly uncomfortable, and Kasey and Lilo were both looking more protective with each passing second. Kasey was at Spencer's side and he looked like he was going to start growling at the crowd any minute now. Lilo was a little more discreet, but not by much. He was at Spencer's other side, his body angled to stand just slightly in front of him in a stance that made it very clear anyone would have to get through him to get to Spencer. His expression was hard and serious. It was a warning all in its own; a threat to anyone who thought to cause trouble.

Well, what a fun situation to walk into. Remy brushed his hair back from his face and let his best smirk curve his lips. This ought to be entertaining. He put an extra little sway in his walk and made his way into the room. "Well aint y' a prompt soul." He called out, deliberately drawing eyes to him. His chin lifted a little and if his walk was more of a prowl, well, never let it be said Remy LeBeau didn't know how to make an entrance.

It did his ego good to see the way that Spencer's eyes found him and seemed to warm as they drifted over him from head to toe. Remy knew he looked good tonight; his looks were something he was always confident in. He'd learned a long time ago how to play up his assets. Tonight, dressed in an all black version of his usual body armor—a little more lightweight, a little more movable, and definitely more discreet—he knew he looked good. The trench coat over top of it added a bit of charm to the look, in his opinion. Spencer's eyes ran down Remy's body and then back up again, settling on his face. Just the faint hint of a smile touched his lips. "What's the point on agreeing on a time if I'm not going to be there for it?" Spencer asked him.

Remy rolled his eyes as he got close. "_Merde_, y'r one of dem souls. Remy's don't never show up on time less he's gotta." He tipped his head down and winked at Spencer over the top of his sunglasses. "Can't make a proper entrance when y'r always on time, _non_?"

"I don't know, you seemed to manage just fine." Spencer returned.

A low laugh tickled Remy's throat and his smile turned a bit pleased. "_Merci._" On impulse, Remy stepped forward and bowed with a flourish of his coat. He came back up and held one hand out in Spencer's direction. "Allow me to escort y' in, _mon cher_."

The amused look that lit up Spencer's eyes gave his face a rather mischievous and very attractive look, and Remy vowed to try and put that look there more often. Spencer's lips curved into a smile that carried just a hint of the cat to it and he stepped past his two bodyguards to lay his hand in Remy's. "I'd like that very much. Thank you."

Remy drew Spencer's hand in and tucked it in to the crook of his arm. Then, without casting a look at anyone else, he escorted the man down the hallway and to the library where Scott had suggested earlier that they all gather to talk once everyone was there. Others fell into step behind them and Remy knew those necessary would come in. He also trusted to Scott to make sure that not everyone joined them in here. Gathering to watch the arrival of their guests was one thing. They didn't need everyone in here trying to input while they were planning for work. All joking and flirting aside, this was a job, and Remy took that seriously. He would play and flirt and tease with Spencer but he wouldn't let anything get in the way of doing the job right.

The people who would go with them tonight had been chosen carefully. This was Remy's area of expertise, breaking in somewhere, and it was on area where Scott knew to trust Remy's opinion. The two had debated only briefly before deciding on who would go. They needed someone to fly the jet and people who could act as backup if things went south. With that in mind, they were taking a rather obvious selection—Scott, Jean, and Logan. Logan was going mostly because he insisted. Scott and Remy both had agreed because they'd known that Spencer was bringing people, just not _who_ he was bringing, and they wanted someone there that would be able to get along with whoever was brought. Scott was going because he was their leader and because he knew how to fly the jet. Jean was going as copilot and because she would come in handy if trouble hit and their communicators didn't work, which could happen with the right security system. She could keep a telepathic ear out for any calls of trouble.

Scott had been all for bringing more people, pointing out that Remy told him Spencer said this place was high security and potentially dangerous, but Remy convinced him that too many people would make this more difficult than it needed to be.

The way that Spencer's eyes lit up when they entered the library was rather cute. He looked like a kid in a candy story as his eyes ran over the shelves upon shelves of books. Remy led him in and stopped in the middle of the room so the man could take it all in. "De Professor's got quite a collection in here." He told Spencer, watching the man's face.

"I can see that." Spencer looked like he was resisting the urge to get a closer look.

Behind them, there was the sound of a low laugh that had just a hint of a bark to it. Footsteps told Remy that the others were coming in now. The one who had laughed, Kasey, came up to Spencer's other side and he flashed a broad, bright smile. "We're not here to read, Boss. Wipe the drool off your chin, now."

There was a moment's pause and then Spencer blinked his eyes and focus returned to them. He shot a mock glare to Kasey, though there was a hint of color in his cheeks that betrayed his embarrassment. "I was not drooling."

"Close enough." The canine teased.

Spencer's embarrassment put a bit more color into his cheeks. He cleared his throat and very deliberately did not respond to that. Instead, he looked back to Remy and said "This is a very nice place you stay at. It's a beautiful home."

"Thank you." Charles said. He'd come in with the others.

The tensing of Spencer's body was slight and almost imperceptible. Remy doubted he would've noticed it he hadn't been watching for it. Even then, the only real giveaway was the way that Spencer's hand tightened briefly on his arm before the man forced it to relax. The Professor's presence here was deliberate—against Remy's protests. Charles claimed not to know what problem Spencer had with him, what difference of opinion they'd had, and it made quite a few people curious. So they'd all planned on bringing him in tonight not just because this was his home, or his people, but because they'd wanted to watch Spencer and gauge his reaction and maybe see if they could find out what was between him and the Professor.

Big brown eyes snuck a look up at Remy's face and something in them told the Cajun that Spencer had guessed the plan and that he wasn't all that pleased with it. Remy gave an apologetic grimace. "Not m' idea." He murmured for Spencer's ears only.

Spencer nodded and his expression softened. Those eyes closed only briefly and Remy actually felt it as the man gathered himself together. Then Spencer opened his eyes once more and there were no signs of stress or any discomfort whatsoever. He was perfectly polite when he turned to face Charles, his one hand still staying in Remy's arm. "You're welcome, Professor Xavier." Spencer said ever-so-politely. "And allow me to say thank you for allowing us in your home tonight."

"But of course." Charles said smoothly. "Guests are always welcome."

The wording on that had been carefully chosen, Remy knew, meant to be a sort of subtle dig that let Spencer know Charles knew he wasn't welcomed in Spencer's place of business. He was baiting Spencer.

The profiler didn't take it, though. He just inclined his head in that same polite manner and then he gave a not-so-subtle dig of his own by turning to Scott and actually stepped away from Remy and holding his hand out to the man. "Thank you for allowing me the use of your team and resources, Scott. I truly appreciate it. "

Remy had to turn away for a moment to try and hide the smile that wanted to break free. That had been a deliberate slap in the face to the Professor that had been very carefully executed. Nothing Spencer had gone had been actually _rude_, so to speak. He'd been polite to Charles, thanking him and everything. But by turning to Scott that way, thanking him for the use of _his_ people and _his_ resources, and by actually moving away from Remy to shake Scott's hand—something Remy had noticed already that Spencer just didn't do—by doing all of that, Spencer was making it clear who he considered in charge here and who had his respect.

When he turned his head, Remy caught sight of Lilo, who had been standing behind the profiler before Spencer had stepped away. Humor danced in Lilo's eyes. He leaned in close to Remy, murmuring "Never play word games with a profiler. Especially never play them with Spencer."

Scott looked like he wasn't quite sure how to react to what he'd just witnessed. But when it became obvious that Charles wasn't going to say anything about it, he apparently decided to just let it go. He caught Spencer's hand when the genius got close and shook it. "You're welcome. We told you we'd help with anything that we could. I assume this has something to do with the case?"

"I wouldn't have called you in otherwise." Spencer said simply.

"Well why don't you tell us what's going on, then. All Remy had to say was that you two were going to break into some high security house tonight. What other information do you have?"

Spencer stepped back from Scott, turning himself just enough that his back wasn't to anyone, and though he answered Scott, his words were spoken to the room at large. "A lot and yet nothing all at the same time." He said with a wry look on his face. "I met up with one of my contacts last night and they were able to give me a very important name. The name of the person that's rumored to be at the very top of Orion. Lionel Garfield." Spencer completely ignored the surprised sounds that came from around him as well as the way that everyone seemed to suddenly be on alert. He reached over to the bag that Kasey was carrying over his shoulder and reached inside, pulling out a rolled up paper. When he had it, he turned to look at Remy, and there was just a touch of humor in those chocolate eyes again. "It's his house we're going to break into. Still up for this?"

That question didn't even take any thought. Remy responded to the challenge in those words with a sharp grin and a "Hell yeah."

"Lionel Garfield?" Charles asked, his voice showing his surprise. "Are you positive about this?"

"The man's on the fast track to becoming a senator." Jean added in.

Spencer nodded. "I know."

It was Scott who asked "Where did you get your information?"

"The source can be trusted, I promise you." Spencer said, not really answering their question. No one missed that little fact. Nor did Remy miss the way that Spencer's hand came up and unconsciously rubbed at his neck, or how Lilo and Kasey both tensed up a little. Well, then. Whoever this source was, obviously his teammates didn't like the person, and Spencer's actions suggested that he must feel the others here wouldn't like the person either. One name popped into mind and Remy wondered about it. Then he saw Spencer's eyes dart towards Logan, one small nervous gesture, and he knew his guess was right. He could also see why Spencer didn't want to say it.

He decided to take pity on the man and rescue him from any further questions on it. The fact that Spencer was here at all told Remy that the man trusted the information he got. That was good enough for Remy. Everything he'd seen of this man told him that Spencer knew how to do his job and do it well. It also told him that the man wouldn't put others at risk on information he wasn't sure of. "So, what's dat y' got dere?" Remy asked him.

The grateful look Spencer shot him told him the man knew what Remy was doing. He grasped the lifeline quickly and easily. "The most accurate blueprints Kasey could find."

"Well c'mon over and let Remy take a look, den." He gestured with one hand for Spencer to follow him over to the large desk in here. He moved a few things, creating some space on top and then smiled up at Spencer. "All right, let's see where y'r taking Remy out tonight."

"I hope it meets with your approval." Spencer actually teased him back. He took the paper and unrolled it out on the desktop.

Remy caught the other end, helping to spread it out and then weighing it down on the corners while Spencer did the same to the other side. Once it was held down, the two men moved to stand side by side as they looked over the house blueprints. Remy ran his eyes over it and gave a low whistle. "When y' promise a good time, y' sure deliver, cher. Dat's a hell of a place."

"Only the best for you." Spencer said. He bent down, tapping his finger over the front entrance of the house. His eyes were on Remy, though. "Kasey dug around a little and found out they just installed Orion's newest system here, too."

"De _Alnitak_?"

"Mm hm."

Oh, man. A thrill ran through Remy and he couldn't help his grin. He'd heard about that system and he'd wanted to get his hands on it for quite a while now. There was something about security systems for a good thief. Once you reached a higher level of skill, most systems became child's play. There was no challenge to them. So when new systems came out, it was easy to get excited about them, to look forward to pitting your skills against something that was considered the 'newest and best' out there.

Spencer chuckled at Remy's obvious excitement. "I thought you might like that."

"_Mais oui_." Remy looked back down at the blueprints and looked over it with a practiced eye. "Why don't y' show Remy what y' know so far, cher?"

One thing Remy had already learned in their limited interactions was that you had to be prepared when you asked Spencer to talk. The man was not known for giving short, little answers. When given the opportunity, he could _talk_. But Remy paid close attention as Spencer started to talk now. This wasn't some obscure fact or a bunch of stuff that Remy didn't quite understand. This was his area of expertise and he focused closely on the details Spencer was giving as the man launched into a description of everything they knew about the house.

Still, listening didn't stop him from watching. Watching Spencer in this form amused Remy mostly because of the contrast it presented to him in his feline form. All that grace and coordination seemed to just go out the window when he was human. Proof to point, Spencer moved around the desk for some reason or another without taking his eyes off the blueprints and he managed to bump his hip on the edge of the desk and he almost knocked over the cup of pens near his arm. Lilo caught the cup and set it down without missing a beat and then he neatly caught Spencer's arm and bumped it up just enough that it missed knocking over the paperweight as well. He looked up and caught Remy watching this and amusement broke through Lilo's mask. He tipped a wink to Remy, who smothered his chuckle, and then the man went back to Spencer-watching. The man definitely played the part of bodyguard well. He protected Spencer not just from any outside danger, but from the danger the man presented to himself.

"So wait a second." Jean interrupted them cautiously, making her way up towards the desk. "You two are going to break into the house of a soon-to-be senator, one who heads up a huge security company, and who has their newest security system up on their house, and you're going to do it with, what? A few hours preparation."

Spencer and Remy exchanged a look and then turned back to her. "Pretty much." Remy said cheekily. Spencer nodded his agreement.

Jean looked dumbfounded. "Shouldn't you take some time and plan for this? Better prepare yourselves? It seems risky to just go in like this."

"You're right." Spencer agreed with her easily. "Usually, I'd take a few days, maybe even a week or so to observe and plan. But we're working on a few different time constraints here. The first and most important is that we have no idea when the next auction is coming up and we need to be ready for it when it is, or we'll lose our opportunity until whenever they set up the next one, which could be quite a few months out. The second one is that Mr. Garfield is currently in Washington DC and he'll be back in two days." He shrugged his shoulders. "Personally, I'd rather do this while he's not at home."

Raising her hands in surrender, Jean stepped back and let them go back to their planning.

* * *

It took three hours with them closeted inside that library before they had their plan in place. Remy had to admit that this would be almost hell to do on his own, but with the little team he had going here, it might not be that bad. He'd seen Spencer's skills to an extent back at that storage facility and that helped him be somewhat prepared for what the man could contribute. There was the added bonus of Lilo and Kasey, too, who would be helping out from outside. Kasey was going to play the part of their hacker in this little team, with Lilo as his backup, and between Remy and Kasey they'd have the actual system covered if everything went to plan. Aside from the computers, Remy wasn't quite sure what it was that Spencer wanted once they were in there, but he had enough trust for the man to know that he would explain it to him if and when it became important.

Once everything was squared away, they wasted no more time in going down to the Blackbird to go. The secluded house was in Nebraska, of all places, and the property was in the woods, something that had made Kasey and Spencer laugh when they'd first told Remy. "It's like the Boss and I were saying earlier," Kasey had explained. "There's got to be some Unsub handbook out there. 'Secluded, high security house in the woods' has got to be somewhere in there near 'Join the Senate'."

A low whistle from Kasey was the only surprised reaction when the trio was brought down to the Blackbird. Lilo showed nothing, as usual. Remy was noticing that Lilo didn't really relax that serious demeanor of his unless he was around all of his friends or somewhere more private. Spencer's expression was carefully constructed to let nothing show through. Though, he did smile when Kasey said "Man, you X-men, you really live the hard life here, don't you? Mansions and jets and fancy toys…"

"…oh my." Lilo finished dryly.

"Gentlemen." Spencer said. Just one word and both men quieted, though Kasey snuck a smile at him.

Before they went into the jet, Spencer asked if there was someplace that he could change. Remy had wondered about what he was wearing, the slacks and the button up shirt, but he'd said nothing about them. He directed Spencer over to a bathroom now and the man took a bundle that Kasey had pulled out of his bag and carried it with him.

While they stood waiting, Scott broached a question that Remy, as well as everyone else, had been curious about. "I imagine Spencer's going to do this tonight as Stalker. Why didn't he just show up here as himself?" He asked.

A short look passed between Lilo and Kasey. It was Lilo who fielded the question. "He knew he was going to get stared at no matter what. He didn't want to make it worse than what it was already going to be. Pen doesn't really like to be the center of attention."

A minute later when Spencer came out of the bathroom, Remy could see why the man had worried he would be stared at like this. Good Lord. Spencer was in his feline form and he'd dressed in clothes that Remy could see were specially set up. A black tank top and black cargo pants that were set up so that his tail came out easily from the back, and little loops sat on all his pockets. They were like the pants he'd worn for work the night at the storage facility. Comfortable and customized for this form and for the work they were about to do. In bare feet Spencer moved silently and smoothly across the floor towards them. There wasn't a single pair of eyes that wasn't on him. He'd gone into the bathroom looking just slightly awkward and he'd come out moving with confidence and grace. Two totally separate parts to the man and Remy found himself growing more and more attracted to each side.

"Ready?" Spencer asked them when he got close.

Logan grinned at him and gave a low chuckle. "Yeah, we're ready. C'mon there, cub."

The 'cub' had Spencer scowling at him. "Careful, _pup_."

The two headed towards the jet still bickering playfully and Scott shook his head at them. "This ought to be interesting." He murmured.

Remy flashed a bright grin at him. "Y' got no idea, Fearless." With a chuckle, he set off after his friends, Lilo and Kasey falling in with him.

There was nothing any of them could really do once they were on the jet except wait for Scott to get them there. Logan and Remy went towards the back of the jet and sat back there with Spencer, Lilo and Kasey, who had taken one of the long benches as their seats. It left Jean and Scott alone together up front. Remy sat down by Logan and he looked over at the trio across from him. Good humor lit his face at what he saw. Apparently in the five minutes since they'd taken off, Spencer had decided that now was a good time for a nap. He'd lain down and was using Lilo's lap for a pillow while the rest of him was stretched out into a loose limbed sprawl that only cats seemed capable of. One leg actually dangled off the seats and his tail was resting loosely around that leg.

"Good to see you're getting comfortable." Logan said. His voice was a low, teasing rumble.

Lilo looked up at him and rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, real comfortable. I always enjoy playing pillow." Still, one of his hands was resting at Spencer's hair, and it didn't escape their notice that the man was scratching idly at the spot behind Spencer's ear.

"Boss usually rests before work like this." Kasey supplied helpfully with that puppy-dog eagerness of his. "He says it helps him get ready."

"And, you know, he's like a giant housecat that seems to think that anytime is a good time for sleep and everything and everyone nearby is his to sleep on." Lilo added.

One of Spencer's hands came up and swatted half-heartedly at Lilo leg. "Shut up."

Laughter echoed through the back of the jet. Spencer ignored them all and went right back to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

_I know it's been a while. Sorry! This chapter was so dang hard to write. I'm still not sure if I like it or not. :/ I've spent most of today deleting and rewriting things until I was somewhat satisfied with this. Keep in mind, though, that I'm not a burglar, so I don't know how to break into places, and if it seems weird, that's why. Thanks!_

* * *

Spencer was awake once more by the time the jet made its stealthy landing in a clearing a safe distance away from the house. Not just awake, but ready and eager. The energy and excitement that always came before a job was filing him now. Part of it was the knowledge that he was finally going to be able to do something instead of just sit around and talk and think, while the other part was simply the animal in him rejoicing at the ability to stretch its legs. The cougar would come free some tonight. After being cooped up for so long, he was ready. It showed in the light in his amber eyes and in the way his tail swayed happily through the air behind him.

A touch from Lilo kept Spencer from hurrying away the minute that they landed. The man kept his hand on Spencer's arms until he turned back. "Wait a second here, Pen. Kasey's got some stuff for you first, remember?"

Oh, that was right. Spencer turned impatiently towards the canine, who was sitting on the ground with his bag in his lap. From the bag he pulled out a small case that Spencer was familiar with. Inside sat the earbuds that they'd use for communication, one of which had been carefully crafted to suit Spencer's unique ears in this form. Lilo took it from Kasey and he helped to get it set into Spencer's ear, despite Spencer's insistence that he could do it himself. While he did that, Kasey offered up the case towards Remy, who had just finished pulling on a backpack and tightening the straps. "Here. We'll be able to stay in contact this way. I'll have you guys hooked up to my laptop through these so we'll all be able to hear you and you should be able to hear us just fine. I've improved them a little so the range is better, but if they've got anything in there meant to knock out electronics or cut out any signals, we might lose you."

"If that happens, I'll reach out to you guys." Jean said.

Remy took the little earbud out and carefully slid it into his ear. "What about each other? If we get separated, we gonna be able to hear each other?"

"Yes." Kasey said with a nod. He put the case back into his bag and then pulled out a smaller bag attached to what looked like a belt, passing that to Lilo before turning back and starting to unload his laptop. Lilo handed the belt and bag to Spencer, who quickly threaded it through his pants and settled it so that the bag dangled on his right hip.

When Spencer looked up again, he caught more than a few eyes watching him. He smiled at them and patted the bag on his hip. "Just a few tools customized for my hands." That was all they needed to know about that. No need to tell them every little trick he carried in the small bag.

"Are you two ready for this?" Scott asked as he made his way to them. He looked between Spencer and Remy. "You remember the plan?"

Though he couldn't see it through the sunglasses, Spencer was pretty sure Remy was rolling his eyes. "_Oui_, Fearless." There was a hint of humor and mockery in that dry tone. "It aint rocket science. We get up to de house, slip past de perimeter guards to get to de house itself, and den Gambit finds de electric box and plants dis little device," He pulled a USB from his pocket and held it up, waggling it at Scott. "Dat lets K here into de system. He'll let down de alarms so we can slip inside. Den we just gotta keep clear of cameras until we get to de office."

"I'll set up a video loop for the office camera." Kasey added in helpfully.

Remy nodded at that and looked back at Scott while pocketing the USB. "We'll search de computers, de office, an anyt'ing else we'll need. We get what we can an make sure our tracks are covered. Den we slip back out, nice and quiet, and don't no one ever even know we were dere."

In theory, it sounded simple. Spencer knew it rarely ever turned out as simple as it sounded. There were still plenty of things that could trip them up. What Remy had just given Scott was a very simplified version of events. It didn't take into account any locks, or how hard it might be to avoid the interior cameras, or how they were going to get past the motion sensors to get close enough to the house to actually get to the electric box. Doing it on the fly with the minimal supplies and gadgets they had on hand, plus working with a partner they'd never worked with before like this, only made it all the more interesting. It was going to be a miracle if they pulled this off. Spencer knew he should be freaking out right about now. Him, the one who was always such a stickler for details. Yet he wasn't.

Turning towards Remy, he gave the man a smile with just a hint of fang to it. "You ready, Gambit?" he asked teasingly.

"_Mais oui_, Stalker." Remy shot back.

Scott went to the panel to hit the buttons that opened up the back hatch. As it started to lower, Spencer drew in a deep breath, pulling in the fresh scent of nature outside. A soft sigh slid from him. It had definitely been too long. When this case was over, he was going to take a weekend away. For now, he had work to do, and a playful sort of date to attend. That reminder drew his eyes back to Remy. The Cajun had moved to stand beside him now and he had the same excited light to those dark eyes. Spencer let his smile grow. "Try and keep up." He taunted Remy. Then, though the ramp was only halfway down, Spencer let out a growling laugh and took off, racing to the end and jumping down. Behind him he could hear Remy's husky laugh and then the soft sound as Remy raced after him.

They had a little distance that they had to cover between here and the house and Spencer let himself stretch out for it. He knew that Remy knew where to go and he knew that there was nothing up ahead of them that they needed to worry about until they reached a certain point. Why not let himself free a little bit until he reached that point?

It was easy to open up that part of himself and let it lead him. The cougar leapt forward and took over as his body cut through the trees with a speed and stealth that felines were known for. When the trees thickened, it was instinctive to catch hold of a low flying branch and use it to swing himself up. It was a perfect night for this. The light cloud cover dimmed the light of the moon and the stars, masking their approach, and the air was cool and crisp, filling his lungs and energizing him. There was a faint hint of what his mind labeled _Man_ in the air—the scent of manmade materials, of cars and humans and other such things—but it was only a light scent. The scent of the forest overpowered it all and Spencer happily took it in. There was another scent in the air that had a part of him purring happily inside. Something spicy yet sweet, tantalizing in ways that stirred an entirely different kind of hunger, awakening a need in him that he hadn't even known was there until now. It was so strong it almost took away that need to hunt. For one moment as he perched on a branch, he teetered between continuing the hunt or giving in to the other urge, the one that was telling him to take, to _claim_…

_No_. Spencer shoved that urge way, _way_ down. Now was not the time for this. He didn't even want to think about what he'd almost done there. Right now it was time to work. Whatever that feeling in his chest was, it wasn't important right now.

A few more graceful leaps and twists brought Spencer close to the edge of the clearing. He carefully chose his branch and perched in it so that he was sheltered by the dark but could see through the break of the last trees and up towards the house.

The wind shifted and that spicy-sweet scent from before came back. Spencer twisted towards it and watched as Remy appeared out of the dark. The Cajun moved almost silently, a talent not many people had. Not for the first time Spencer wondered if there was a bit of feline in Remy. He just had that innate grace and stealth. But considering his line of work, was it any real surprise? He'd spent years training his body and keeping it in shape. Whatever the reasons, whether some hidden feline traits or just training, it sure made him pleasing to watch. Spencer fought back the urge to give a low purr. _Time to get my head back in the game_ he reminded himself. He let his humor free a little, though, and dropped silently out of the tree to land in a crouch right at Remy's side. It was worth it to see the way the man startled before grinning broadly at him. Spencer just grinned right back. "Let's get to work."

With their combined knowledge of security systems, and what little they knew about this new system, plus what they had looked at on the blueprints, the two had two different routes up to the house that might work. Before they could check them, they needed to locate the perimeter guards and make sure that they'd be able to avoid them.

Finding the guards wasn't that hard. Spencer's senses clued him in easily enough to their location. Well used to ferals and their senses, Remy didn't question Spencer's words, just nodded and moved with him. They stuck to the tree line for now and very carefully and quietly avoided the patrols. In the end they counted up twelve outside guards. That wasn't counting whatever guard would be watching the system and the cameras.

"Dey've got a lot of guards fo' an empty house." Remy murmured. He was crouched down at Spencer's side, the two of them looking up towards the first of their two potential entrances.

Spencer had been having the same thought. He watched the one guard walking in the distance and he added the movement to his mental map. "Kasey." He kept his voice low, just a soft rumble on the breeze that wouldn't carry very far, yet he knew the earbud would pick up on it. "Is there any chance our information was wrong and he's actually at home? We've counted twelve outside guards so far."

There was a moment of silence before Kasey's voice came through the earbud. "_No, Boss. I've got his hotel reservations here and…yep, there he is on the security camera. He's definitely not at home._"

Lilo voiced the question that was on all their minds. "_So what's so important that they've got the top-of-the-line security system and twelve exterior guards?_"

This job just got a little more interesting. The two thieves exchanged a quick look of mutual understanding. In it, they acknowledged that the job just became more dangerous, and that neither one of them was willing to back out. Whatever was in there was important enough for Lionel Garfield to put some serious protection on. They needed to find out what it was.

Agreed on their course of action, they got back to work.

"North side entry is impossible." Spencer told them all. "Not enough time between guard movement and there's a motion sensor right where we'd need to go."

"South side's de only choice." Remy agreed.

Not that it was going to be easy. They were going to have to time it just right to run through the dark, with only a twenty two second window to get from the tree line to the back patio. It was a three story home, with a wide back patio that was here on the south side, and just enough cover in the garden to be able to slip up there. There was a motion sensor attached to the roof over the patio and a camera right near it. What they needed to do was somehow get up onto that little roof without being seen or setting off the motion sensor. If one of them could actually manage that, laying low for a moment would allow time for that guard to pass and give them thirty more seconds to use the nearby window ledge to hang from and move in the camera's blind spot and then drop down a few feet away to put the USB in the electrical box there. Then they had to get back _up_ and hide before the guard came back.

Spencer knew that he could make the leap from ground to patio roof. Already he could see the path he'd need to take to avoid being spotted or setting anything off. But he had the advantage here. He cast a look to Remy, not quite sure how he was going to get up there. Remy caught that little look and smiled. Then he pulled out something from behind him and a second later he was holding a fully extended Bo staff.

Ah. That answered that. Not worrying about his partner anymore, Spencer rolled his shoulders and pushed any tension out of his muscles. They'd have to move fast. Their window was coming up here. He caught Remy's eye and they shared a silent nod. "Get ready, Kasey." Spencer said lowly, eyes on the guard walking past, counting down the seconds until the way was clear. "Moving in…now."

It was an exhilarating run. Even as part of Spencer worried and watched around him, that other part of him thrilled at the adrenaline that the risk brought to him. He ran the path he'd plotted in his head, counting down the seconds, and his leap from ground to roof was perfect, a silent landing that disturbed nothing. He was just fast enough that he could watch Remy's leap, admire his form as he planted one end of his staff in the ground and used it to vault upwards. The Cajun landed just as silently as Spencer had and the two quickly flattened themselves down to keep out of sight. They looked at one another as they listened to the next guard walk past and neither one could contain their grins.

The guard passed by and their next window of time hit. Spencer stayed still for this one, able to just sit back and watch Remy work. IT wasn't a hardship. The man was all fluid grace as he slid off the edge of the roof and grabbed onto the window ledge with his fingers, carefully swinging himself across the window below to drop down on the other side, right by the electrical box. There was a lock on it, Spencer could see, but that took Remy mere seconds to bypass. Then he was inside the box, doing whatever it was he needed to do with that USB. Spencer didn't really understand that part and he couldn't see past the box door right now anyways. Whatever it was he had to do took him only a few more seconds. He finished quickly and shut the box door and locked it. Then, with a move that had Spencer's eyebrows going up, both surprised and impressed, Remy used the side of the ground story window as well as his staff and he got just enough of a boost to get back to the second story window ledge. How the hell he did it Spencer wasn't quite sure. He'd been watching and he still couldn't quite figure it out. But Remy was swinging back across that window now and up onto the roof, just an inch of clearance between himself and the range of that motion sensor, and he dropped back down flat beside Spencer with about three seconds to spare before the next guard came into view. "It's in." Remy breathed out softly.

Now was the hard part. Lying here, sheltered carefully in the only secure spot on the roof, and waiting for Kasey to get into the system and secure the cameras and let them inside. And hope they don't get caught while they wait.

"_Okay, I see it._" Kasey told them. There was the faint sound of his rapid-fire typing for almost a minute and a half. Spencer kept his ears trained around him as well, monitoring the paths of the guards nearby, until Kasey finally said "_Got it! I'm in, Boss. I've got the cameras here and I'm in the system as well. Right, now, I can get you the window behind the camera, but only for sixty seconds. The hall you'll drop in is clear._"

A benefit of having worked together before meant that there were things Kasey and Spencer didn't have to say. Spencer knew that Kasey would wait for his cue before disarming that window. The man didn't do anything until Spencer's whispered "Go!" came over the line. Spencer didn't bother to worry about whether or not the alarm would be off when he swung over to the window and used a claw tip to slide between the panes and pop the fancy latch that held the windows shut. He trusted Kasey to do his job. It allowed him to move quicker, getting over and getting the windows open as fast as he could. He and Remy dropped down inside and shut the windows behind them and then pressed out to either side to make sure they were out of sight of anyone looking inside.

Spencer didn't have to ask for a report. Lilo was already starting one. "_We've got the cameras up and there are four guards inside, Boss. Two downstairs at the security room and the other two look like they're doing a walkthrough. They've just left the second floor and they're on their way up to the third. You need to get down this hall, take a right, and the office door will be at the end of that hall._"

"_There's two cameras along the way, but I've got them covered right now, so you're clear to run so long as you don't run into people._" Kasey added.

This was getting stranger and stranger. There was so much security for just one home; a home that wasn't even currently occupied. "Check around, Kase." Spencer murmured. He started off down the hall, keeping a careful eye and ear around him. "There's something strange here. Something doesn't feel right."

"Dere's too much security." Remy agreed. He was just a step behind Spencer, not seeming the least bit bothered to be following the feline.

"_We're looking into it._"

They got down to the office and Remy made easy work of the door lock. Once Kasey assured them he had that camera on a loop and that they were clear, they slipped inside and shut the door behind them, making sure to lock it. Here was where both men went to their own work. Remy went straight to the computer and sat himself down. Unlike Spencer, he had no qualms about using a computer system, and Spencer heard him and Kasey both talking about whatever it was that Remy was doing on there. He didn't really understand it. Spencer just left them to it and turned himself to the rest of the room. He'd leave the computer stuff to people who understood it. Profiling the room and finding the secrets inside, that was much more suited to Spencer.

The first thing he did was check the filing cabinets in here. He doubted that Lionel would keep anything important right out in the open like that. If his house got searched, he wouldn't want anything found that could tie him to Orion. All that Spencer found in the filing cabinets was all records for business that were on the up-and-up, stock investments, just basic normal things that someone would store in their office. No hint of anything that involved Orion. No, those papers, if here, would be somewhere not visible.

Spencer searched through the whole room. Even as he searched, he profiled. That was a part of his brain that he couldn't just turn off. He couldn't ignore the photos over on the one bookshelf, ones that clearly showed Lionel at various fundraisers, all of them children oriented, always posing in the midst of kids and, occasionally, doctors. Some were cancer fundraisers, some for arts or music programs, some for children with disabilities. The guy donated quite a bit, it seemed, and was very active in all sorts of things that the cynical part of Spencer's brain pointed out would make him look good when he ran for senate. The profiler logged it all away, though, adding it to the other things he saw. The little things.

He didn't find anything big until he was inspecting one of the bookshelves and just happened to notice something a little off about the shelf. A low laugh rumbled in his chest. "You're not going to believe this, Kasey." Reaching around one of the books, Spencer found the small little hole in the shelf and his finger slipped in, finding the button. He pressed it and the shelf below dropped down, revealing a hidden compartment behind it where Spencer saw stacks upon stacks of folders. "A hidden compartment in a bookshelf."

"_See! This just proves it!_" Kasey exclaimed with a laugh. "_There's some manual out there, Boss. This guy is following it to the letter. He's doing every bad guy cliché he can come across._"

Pulling the first folder out, Spencer ran his eyes over it, mentally cursing. "He's coded it." Damn. He should've figured on something like this. Lionel had showed just how smart he was so far. Why should he start being stupid now and leaving out regular documents to risk them being found? Coding them made them a bit more secure. Keeping them on paper made them secure, too. No way for a hacker to get in and steal them. Spencer couldn't take them with him, either. Not without giving away the fact that they were found. Once Lionel knew that, he could change things around before Spencer ever got a chance to decode things.

The soft whisper of cloth against cloth was Spencer's only warning that Remy was coming over. The Cajun came right up to him, brushing up against his side. He had something slightly strange in his hands. "Here, cher, let me see dem." Remy took the folder and held out the item in his hand over top of it, running it smoothly down the first page. He looked up at Spencer and smiled. "Portable scanner."

Well wasn't that handy. "Nice."

He left Remy to scan the papers and took the time to finish checking through the room. He'd only gone a few feet when Lilo suddenly spoke. "_Boss? We've got something odd here._"

Immediately Spencer froze. "What is it?"

"_Those two guards weren't doing a walkthrough. They went into a room on the top floor, north side, and just vanished off the system. That room has no cameras, no nothing. They came back out twenty two seconds later and stationed themselves outside the door and they haven't moved. They're guarding that room._"

They were guarding an upstairs room? Spencer and Remy looked across the room at one another, each one wondering what that could mean. Remy cocked an eyebrow at Spencer. "Whatever's in dere must be important."

"_I know that tone of voice."_ Scott said. "_Gambit, don't even think about it. There's no way of going in there without being seen. You two are supposed to be in and out quickly without anyone knowing you were there. This room has two guards with it. Whatever's in there is not worth bringing down all those guards on you, plus whatever they might have to call up to help them. You'd be trapped up in that room._"

It was true. Everything Scott said there was true. But Spencer and Remy continued to look at one another. There was a silent conversation going on between them. They both knew that whatever this was, it was important. It was the reason there was so much security with Lionel not even being home. It had to be. That was the only thing that made any sense. There was nothing else here that needed to be guarded. Spencer drew in a deep breath and nodded. "You done scanning yet?" he asked calmly.

"On de last one." Remy said. His hands were moving even as he spoke, running his scanner over the page in front of him.

"Good. Finish that out and get it put away. We don't want anyone to know we even came to the office." There was a note of command that had entered Spencer's voice. The leader that he claimed he wasn't came to the surface now. This whole mission had just changed and he had to adjust their plans. "Kasey, guard check."

_"__No changes, Boss._"

"Good. On my word, I want you to trigger one of the motion sensors on the south side, and I want you to black out the cameras. Make them think someone's coming in from that direction. I want all their attention over there."

"_Stalker, this is a mistake. Don't do this._" Scott's voice was sharp with warning.

Spencer ignored him. He didn't have time to debate this. "Wolverine, Lee, we'll be coming out hot. Meet us at the forest line. We might need help shaking off a tail."

"_On it._" Logan rumbled, echoed quickly by Lilo.

"_Stalker!"_ Scott's voice was even sharper this time, that commanding tone to it that reminded Spencer so much of Aaron. "_Whatever's in that room is not worth this risk._"

"It is, Cyke." Remy interrupted him. "Dey aint guarding papers up dere." He was snapping the folder in his hand closed and sliding it back into the compartment. He reached up and pressed the button that Spencer had found before, sliding the panel back into place.

"_What are you talking about?_" Jean asked.

It was Spencer who answered her. "People." He said bluntly. There was no time to sugarcoat this. "You don't guard _things_ with this kind of security, you guard _people_, and not people who are here willingly for good things." The rest of his thoughts on that, he kept to himself. There was no need to tell them yet what he was afraid they would find in there. He couldn't be positive he was right and there was no need to upset them when he wasn't sure. But his mind flashed back to those pictures on the shelf and his stomach clenched. It made his voice just a little sharper than normal when he spoke again. "Now, we're going over there. Either be prepared to help, or get off the comms. I don't have time to waste arguing with you."

He didn't give them time to say anything else. He turned to Remy, who had just put his stuff back into his bag and was striding towards him. "Are you ready? Those guards won't leave, not even for a potential break in." Spencer warned, though his words were more for those listening than for Remy. "We're going in hot and coming out the same way. There's no time for anything better."

"Lead de way."

Those words weren't just a signal that he was ready. It was also a message to Spencer, letting him know that he was going to follow his lead on this. Spencer drew in a breath and unlocked the door. "Now, Kasey."

The sound of the alarm trilling echoed through the house and Spencer and Remy started to run. The alarm and the downed cameras kept most of the guards busy, just like Spencer planned, making it easy and clear for them to race up to the third floor, but it also put the two guards upstairs on alert. Spencer knew that just leaping out into the hall would be beyond stupid. These men would be armed and just racing into the hall would get them shot. Spencer felt back a step, making a small gesture to Remy with one hand. Out of habit, Spencer's gestures were the same ones he'd learned at the Bureau, and he was lucky that Remy recognized them just enough to understand what Spencer wanted. He slipped around Spencer and cards appeared in his hand.

There was no time for Spencer to admire the quick moves as tore around the corner and flung his cards all in one move. He threw them and slid, dropping down below the line of bullets that came flying. Spencer jumped and using the table against the wall to launch himself high. Remy's cards blasted the two guards back against the wall and gave Spencer just enough time to clear the distance with his leap. He landed on the ground right between the two and came up swinging in a move that would've made Derek proud if the profiler were there to see how some of his training with Spencer had paid off. In no time at all the two were slumped down on the ground. While Remy snagged the keys for the door, Spencer disarmed the guards and unloaded the guns. No reason to leave them with weapons.

Remy got the door unlocked and he and Spencer practically flung themselves through it, snapping it shut behind them and flipping the lock. That wouldn't hold them for long but every extra second counted.

A few of those precious seconds were lost when the two saw what was inside of the room. There was a girl who had to be no more than twelve years old curled up on the bed against the far wall wearing nothing more than a thin little nightgown. Wide black eyes watched the two of them with absolute terror. The same terror that Spencer could smell pouring off them in waves.

Remy recovered first. He held his hands out and took a step forward and there was this aura of calm that seemed to project from him. "It's all right." He spoke in a low, thick drawl meant to soothe. "We're here to help, petit. We're here to get y' outta here. Would y' like dat? Would y' like to get outta here?"

The girl was trembling visibly. "You're not with _him_?"

"_Non_, petit." Remy took another careful step forward, putting him right by the bed. "I'm Gambit, an dat over dere is Stalker, an we're here to help get y' out. _Mais_ we gotta move quickly b'fore de guards realize where we are."

Whatever he was doing to calm her seemed to be working. Spencer wasn't exactly immune to it either. The feline felt himself relaxing at the same time that he wanted to let out a low purr that the spicy and sweet scent that was permeating the room. That urge from earlier came back, a whisper in his blood telling him dark, delicious things, taunting him with that forbidden part of himself that wanted nothing more than to take what it considered his, to take and _mark_…Spencer shuddered and his tail gave a sharp twitch. He had to hold his breath to fight past that heady scent. God! How the hell was Remy doing that? How did he make his scent so much stronger like that? Whatever it was, it seemed to have a different effect on the girl than it did on him, thank God. She looked to be relaxing under Remy's words and that something extra that he was packing behind them. She weren't reacting like Spencer was.

He needed to distract himself, fast. _Focus on getting the hell out of here!_ He snapped at himself. "Gambit, toss me the bag."

His voice was lower and sharper than he'd wanted it to be. It earned him a strange look from Remy and a bit more fear scent from the girl. He didn't care. He held his breath and took a full step back. A look of realization passed over Remy. He took a step away from Spencer, too, and then pulled the backpack off and tossed it over to him. Spencer caught the bag and then turned his back on the two. Let Remy handle her right now. Spencer would focus on getting them the hell out of here before any guards caught up or the two outside woke up.

In the backpack was the rope and gear that Spencer had seen Remy toss together earlier. Spencer pulled the rope out and checked the length. It'd be enough to get them down. Just barely, though. He uncoiled it and gave a quick whistle, getting Remy's attention once more. The man was beside the bed now, talking lowly to the girl, and Spencer was relieved to find that the intoxicating scent around him had softened again. Still there, just not as strong. "Tie this off." Spencer said, tossing the end of the rope. Remy caught it and went to the headboard, not needing to be told where to attach it. They'd both seen the large O-ring at the head of the bed, just as they both knew what it was really for. The good news about it was that it meant that it'd hold their weight.

Spencer opened up the window and drew in a breath of fresh air to try and clear his head. Behind him, he heard the low murmur of Remy's voice, explaining to the girl what they were going to do. That spicy-sweet scent came back again and Spencer held his breath. _Dammit_.

Kasey's voice came over the comms suddenly, reminding Spencer for the first time since coming in that the others were still there. He'd forgotten all about them. They usually stayed quiet in his ear, knowing he didn't like distractions. "_You guys need to move, Boss. Company coming up the stairs. I'd guess you got a minute, minute and a half tops._"

Before Spencer could even turn around, he heard Remy leading the girl over to them. Spencer tossed the rest of the rope out the window and then turned around right as Remy and the girl reached him. There was only one way this was going to work to get them out and Spencer knew he was going to have to be the one to do it. It was going to be easier for him than it would for Remy. Only thing was, he knew not a single person was going to like it. There wasn't much choice, though. That minute that Kasey had given them was almost up. Decision made, Spencer slung on Remy's backpack, not having the time to transfer it to the man. "Can you climb with her?" He asked quickly.

"_Oui_." Remy didn't elaborate. He knew their time was limited, too.

Spencer nodded. "Good. Get her out of here and get to the jet. I'll meet you there. And _don't _come after me!" And before anyone could say a word, Spencer spun on his heel and raced to the door, unlocking it and yanking it open. He could hear the sound of multiple people cursing through the comm in his ear before he took it out and put it in his little bag. With a quick yank, he shut the door behind him, just in time to see the guards come racing around the corner. Spencer crouched down low and once again, he let the cougar come to the surface. Hands extended to the sides, he let out his claws and grinned broadly. Then he launched forward.

CXCX

Remy cursed steadily inside his head as he climbed down the rope. He kept cursing even as he hit the ground and started running. _Damn that fool_! What the hell was he thinking?

The girl in Remy's arms gave a soft whimper as if to answer that question.

Of course, he knew exactly what Spencer was doing, and he honestly couldn't fault him for it. The feline was making sure that they got the child out okay. The instant they found her in there, she became priority, and everything else took second place. Getting her out safely became the main objecting. To do that, they'd needed some kind of distraction for the guards, and Spencer had done the only thing that would guarantee their attention wouldn't be inside the room and on the two climbing out. That didn't mean that Remy had to like it, though.

Moments before he hit the tree line, he saw movement, and he had cards in his hand ready to throw before he realized who it was. He caught himself at the last second, right before he would've thrown them. The look on Logan's face as he stepped out of the trees said he knew just how close it had been. He didn't comment, though, nor did he comment on their missing companion. All he said was "Get moving, Gumbo. Follow Lee."

They set up a line, the three of them, with Lilo leading their way and Logan bringing up the rear, the two men protecting Remy and the child in the middle. Lilo had his ink out of his arms and held loosely around his hands in readiness. Logan's claws were already extended. They were moving so quickly, so efficiently, that Remy thought maybe they'd make it to the jet quickly and he could be free to race back and help out the stupid idiot that had thought to sacrifice himself for them. His thoughts were proved wrong just seconds later when Logan growled and launched to the left right when Remy heard the sound of people coming. Remy didn't even bother to think before he passed the girl off to a surprised Lilo. "Go!" he snapped out. Then he spun around to join Logan. Lilo was perfectly capable of getting the girl to the jet. Remy would do better here.

Four of the guards broke through the trees and were met by two very pissed off mutants. It only took a few minutes before the guards were down. The two were just getting ready to move—Remy didn't care what anyone said, he was going back to the house to look for Spencer—when a growl came over the comm. A very familiar growl. Remy grinned when he heard Spencer say "_Everyone clear_?"

"_Almost,_" Kasey answered. "_We've got the girl and Lee, we're just waiting on Gambit and Wolverine._"

"We're on our way." Logan answered, cutting off another of Spencer's growls.

"_Good_." Spencer's words were sharp, edgy. "_I'm almost there. Be ready to move, fast. I heard the one in the office calling this in somewhere. I don't know what kind of backup is coming, but I have a feeling _something_is on its way._"

It only took about a minute and a half before Remy and Logan got to the 'Bird. When they got inside, they found the girl curled up in one of the seats sobbing harshly while Jean tried and failed to calm her down, Scott was at the controls, and Kasey and Lilo were waiting at the back seats watching the ramp. Even as Remy and Logan cleared the top of the ramp, they heard a muted thud as Spencer dropped down from somewhere and landed on the end of the ramp. He bounded in in two leaps and called out "Go!" before hitting the button to close the ramp.

They were all here. Here, alive, and safe. Remy found himself wanting to walk over to Spencer and check the man to make sure he was really okay at the same time that he wanted to shout at him for being a damn idiot and going off alone like that. He did neither, though. The Bird started to move and the girl's wails grew louder and Remy turned towards her. The poor young thing was terrified. To be expected, of course, after all this. He extended his charm towards her and started to move that direction. What happened next stunned everyone.

A low snarl filled the jet just seconds before a solid body hit Remy and slammed him right up against the side of the jet. The jolt stunned him enough that he didn't even get a chance to fight before he found himself pinned against the wall with Spencer's body pressed tight up against him. Glowing amber eyes were right in front of him, bright and hot, and for a moment Remy couldn't think beyond the heat he saw there and the sharp bite of Spencer's emotions. Desire spread between them like liquid fire, pouring through their veins and leaving heat behind. Remy felt Spencer's desire, felt the need in him that was screaming so much. Take, want, need, possess, protect. All those emotions that Remy associated with a feral. Only, these didn't scare him, as others had done. They didn't fade, as Logan's generally did—that man had amazing control against Remy's charm. No, these left Remy drowning under them, and he did so happily.

Someone was saying something nearby. Remy couldn't quite figure out what it was because Spencer was leaning in and scenting deeply along his neck and, oh God, how had he not realized just how damn _hot_ that was? Remy gave a soft little shudder that grew stronger when he felt Spencer start to purr against him. He should be protesting this. He should be reminding Spencer that they were on the jet, telling him that this was just because of his charm, it wasn't really him. But the charm was gone now, lost in his shock, and Spencer was moving and Remy lost all thought completely when he felt the flick of a slightly scratchy tongue over the spot right below his ear that he hadn't realized until just now was a serious erogenous zone and was magically linked somehow with a line straight down to his cock. His head thumped back against the wall and he gave a soft gasp that just made Spencer purr again and chuckle.

There was another voice again, closer this time, and Spencer reacted instantaneously. He put hands on the wall on either side of Remy and turned to snarl furiously at whoever was stupid enough to come walking up to a _feral_ like that.

Spencer turned back towards him and ducked his head again, taking another sniff, and Remy felt the man suddenly tense. Then, without warning, Spencer dropped down to his knees and Remy's eyes went wide. _Mon Dieu_. He wasn't going to…no way. No way was he going to do _that_ right here in front of everyone. "Spencer," Remy did _not_ squeak that word. He didn't! He didn't _squeak_.

The feline ignored him completely. But he didn't go for Remy's belt, as the Cajun had been afraid he would. Instead he surprised him yet again by leaning towards the outside of Remy's left thigh and sniffing. For the first time, Remy became aware that the ache in his leg was more than just a throb. Something during either the climb or the fight in the woods had cut his thigh, right through his pants and into his leg. Not deep, or he would've felt it sooner, but enough to have blood trailing down his leg. That was what Spencer was focused on.

Remy shot his eyes up briefly and saw that everyone was watching them. The girl had even stopped crying somewhere in all this chaos. Even Scott was sneaking glances back towards them. Jean looked ready to come over and try and interfere. The way that Logan and Lilo stood in front of her suggested that she might've been the one to come up before, the one who'd triggered Spencer's snarl. Remy took all that in with a look and then dropped his eyes back down to Spencer, who was carefully inspecting his leg. The fact that Spencer had just turned him on in about five seconds flat, and the evidence of that was very obvious and right near the feline's head, was something that Remy tried to ignore. The middle of the jet wasn't the place to deal with that. He needed to get Spencer calm and in control once more.

With a hand that was steadier than he'd expected it to be, he reached out and gently stroked at Spencer's hair, brushing it back from his face. Those amber eyes lifted and found his and in them, he saw more than Spencer had ever showed there before. There was no wall up to hide the want and protectiveness that were there right now. How the hell could anyone resist that kind of look? Remy smiled down at him and softened his voice a slow, low drawl. "'M fine, cher. It aint deep." His smile grew a little and he chuckled. "De other guy's worse, trust me."

A look that Remy thought might be pride flashed over Spencer's face. He closed his eyes and arched his head up into Remy's touch. For one long, quiet minute, neither Spencer nor Remy said anything. Spencer just stayed in his squat, eyes closed, and Remy continued to stroke lightly at Spencer's hair. He tucked it back behind his ear for him and then started to scratch lightly there. Spencer gave a soft little shudder and leaned forward, his forehead pressing on Remy's thigh right next to the cut. "I'm sorry." Spencer murmured. With their earbuds still in, everyone heard the soft whisper. "It's been a long, long time since I've lost control that way."

Kasey was already moving when Remy looked up. The canine went to the computer and quickly disabled all the earbuds. Spencer's soft words weren't meant for the others.

With gentle hands, Remy cupped Spencer's head and drew him up until once more they were body to body, face to face. "It aint y'r fault." He murmured, fingers stroking over Spencer's cheeks. "M' charm, it has dat effect on people. I should've warned y'."

Spencer shook his head, though Remy noticed he was careful not to dislodge Remy's hands while he did. But he didn't elaborate on that headache. He just drew in another shaky breath and then opened those beautiful eyes once more and the look there was enough to take Remy's breath away. The want was easy to see, as was the shame, all coiled together in this heartbreaking mix. Then, between one blink and the next, it was gone and the wall was in place, showing only a soft sort of humor and apology. "We should get you sitting down." Spencer said, as if that whole strange moment hadn't even happened. "The cut didn't look deep but it was bleeding a bit still.

There was so much that Remy wanted to say and to ask. Only the audience they had kept him from doing it. This was a conversation for later. And they _would_ have it later. For now, he let Spencer lead him over to the bench seats and he even let the man assist him down even though he didn't need it. And when Spencer sank down to the ground beside him, loosely curling up there, no one said a word, but Remy did reach out and once more thread his hand in Spencer's hair, stroking at the fur that was so much softer than he'd thought it would be. Spencer closed his eyes and leaned his head to rest against the side of Remy's good thigh. Neither one said a word for the rest of the ride home.


	17. Chapter 17

For the ride back to the mansion, Spencer stayed where he was by Remy, content to leave their young charge in someone else's care for now. He had watched through heavy eyes as Kasey had gone to the girl once things settled down, as he'd talked lowly and soothingly to her, and then as he'd drawn her back to the bench seats with him. It was obvious from just a look that the girl had latched onto the canine and felt safe with him. She was curled up now in the seat beside Kasey, snuggled up into him, and she looked to be mostly asleep. Once they were landed was soon enough to deal with her. To deal with everyone, really. He wasn't ready for that yet. Not after his embarrassing display earlier. Spencer closed his eyes and turned is face in a little more towards Remy's leg. In response, Remy's hand shifted on his head, moving from the gentle petting he'd been doing to scratching lightly just behind his ear. It should've been even more embarrassing to sit here and let himself be pet and scratched like some common housecat.

Spencer had to fight not to arch up into that touch and start purring.

There was a small part of Spencer that was still running off of his more base instincts. The cougar in him was perfectly happy to be sitting here beside Remy. Not just sitting here—sitting guard. Remy was strong, and the cougar was definitely pleased with that, but he was also injured, and leaving him here without some kind of guard was beyond Spencer's ability right now. The feral part of him had been triggered, something that hadn't happened in a very long time, and he was having troubles just turning it off. He'd always had an iron control over his inner beast. Something about Remy seemed to erode that control more and more each time he saw him. It wasn't just the—what had Remy called it? Charm?—it wasn't just the charm that had done it. Remy might think that that was the reason Spencer had _attacked_ him. Spencer knew better.

Oh, sure, that spicy-sweet scent hadn't helped. But that scent was still the same as Remy's normal scent, just a bit more potent and leaning more towards the sweet side. Remy's natural scent leaned more towards the slightly spicy side, with a hint of ozone to it. All of it screamed _Remy_, though, and Spencer loved each part of it. He'd never met anyone who smelled so good, all the time, and whose scent caused such a reaction in him. He'd had lust triggered by scent before. Protectiveness, too. Pretty much every member of his team triggered a sort of protectiveness in him when he caught their scent. They were hardwired into his mind as his, people that needed to be protected, and their scents triggered that reaction. But no one had ever put this screaming need in him before. No one had ever made him want to just _take_ them. To hunt them down and claim them. Make them _his_ and mark them so that the whole damn world could see.

It had taken every ounce of Spencer's control to keep from doing that earlier. When he'd had his mouth over Remy's neck, scenting him, the beast inside had screamed to mark him right there for everyone to see. When Remy had tipped his head back, opening up the long line of his neck, the cougar had growled happily, and Spencer had fought even more to keep from marking him. Even now the thought of doing it was enough to have a little shiver running down him.

No, no, he needed to quit thinking like that. He had to get his mind away from that and back to what was most important here. They had a young girl they'd just rescued, a job that had gone wrong in so many ways, and a bunch of information that they were going to need to go over. He needed to think like a leader, not like an animal. There was so much that needed to be planned. Spencer kept his thoughts busy with all of that for the rest of the ride back. By the time the jet finally landed back at the mansion, there was a start of a plan already building in Spencer's mind. He'd made a mental list of the things that needed to be done.

As if to make up for the quiet on the jet, things started to move fast once they arrived back at the mansion. They also almost immediately started heading towards trouble. The very first problem that they came across was that the young girl refused to be separated from Kasey and panicked at any talk of a doctor. Jean was trying to talk to her and convince her that they just wanted the doctor to take a look at her, that was all, and then they could take her to a really nice room where she could rest. The girl just turned and buried herself even more against Kasey and she started to shake.

Both Spencer and Scott stepped forward at the same time. Spencer put himself between Kasey and Jean while Scott drew his wife back. The two leaders looked at one another and shared a moment of mutual understanding. Scott gave a small nod of his head, a silent permission, and Spencer nodded in return. Scott kept one hand on Jean's arm, turning towards her just slightly to include her in his words, and he said "I think a checkup can wait until tomorrow. Jean, why don't you show Kasey and his young charge where they can stay for the night? She's been through enough and I would think she could use some sleep."

At the same time, Spencer turned towards Kasey, who was now cradling the girl in his arms. "Stay with her. She built up some trust with you. If you're there when she wakes up, it'll go easier on her."

"You got it, Boss."

Though it was difficult, Spencer made himself stand still as Jean passed them by. Or, more specifically, as she passed Remy by. The line inside of Spencer between man and beast was still too thin for his liking and the cougar didn't want anyone between him and Remy right now, especially not this woman who had tried to interfere earlier. He should make the shift, he knew. Let go of Stalker and turn back into Spencer. Only, he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. Not right now. The threat level was too high for him to be comfortable in any form but this one. He'd stay like this until he felt safe enough to relax. If that meant that he was going to get stared at when he went inside, so be it. He'd handle it just as he'd handled it countless times before.

Spencer drew in a breath to try and steady himself, only to find it had the opposite effect. Remy's scent was all around him, it was _on_ him, and it was still marred by the scent of blood. A shudder ran down him and he fought back the growl that built.

A soft scent warned him seconds before a hand touched his arm. Lilo was lucky that Spencer caught his scent first and didn't just react to a touch. Even so, amber eyes snapped up and his growl broke free. Lilo didn't flinch from it. He stood there and watched Spencer with compassion and understanding. "I'll take care of calling and warning the others, Boss. Go ahead and go take a breather. I'll keep an eye on everything for you."

Spencer spared a moment to be grateful that he had friends who understood him so well and cared so much. He gave Lilo a grateful smile, reaching up to lightly pat the hand on his arm, and then he spun and hurried down the ramp and off the jet. Lilo held out a hand to stop anyone else from following him. "Give him a minute to get out." He warned them.

"Is he all right?" Scott asked.

It was earned him a few points in Lilo's book that he didn't ask what had happened, or what was going on right now. The look on his face had Lilo suspecting that the man probably understood at least some of it. Then again, with Wolverine on his team, he probably had more understanding of ferals than most. Spencer's control made him unique, but he still had the same quirks that other ferals did. "He'll be okay once he gets a bit of fresh air." Lilo reassured them. He slanted a look over at Remy, who was standing in the spot where Spencer had sat so silently for the ride home. To him, Lilo added, "I'd suggest getting that leg looked at, though. Maybe change into something that doesn't smell like blood."

"Trust Remy, dat's first on de list."

CXCX

Remy knew enough about ferals to know that just changing his clothes wasn't going to be enough. A quick shower to wash the blood and other scents off his skin would be best. So when he got upstairs, he snagged a towel, a change of clothes, and his soaps and went for a quick shower, helping himself to the shower in Logan's room. It wasn't the first time he simply let himself in. Bobby was a little too fond of freezing the pipes when people were in the shower. He wasn't stupid enough to try it on Logan's shower, though. No one was dumb enough to mess with Logan like that. Except, maybe, Remy.

He'd finished scrubbing himself and was just starting his hair when the bathroom door opened and he heard Logan's familiar tread. A peek out the curtain showed the man settled against the bathroom counter. "Smart idea." Logan raised his voice just enough to be heard over the spray of the water. "Your scent reeked of blood and pheromones."

That had Remy laughing. He squirted shampoo into his hand and started to work it into his hair. "Dat aint m' fault. What do y' expect, huh?" Leaning forward and peeking around the curtain again, he flashed Logan his most flirtatious smile and winked at him. "Always had a t'ing fo' dangerous men."

He pulled back in just enough time to avoid the snap of the towel Logan was holding. His chuckles echoed around the bathroom.

Logan wasn't chuckling, though. "Yeah well, maybe this one's more dangerous than you realize." He said with such seriousness that it wiped away Remy's smile.

"What're y' talking about?" Remy asked. He ducked his hair under the water, giving it a quick rinse. His attention, though, was focused on Logan. Obviously he'd come in here to talk seriously with Remy, not playfully like he'd thought.

Logan let out a sigh that Remy could hear over the spray of the shower. "You're playing with fire there, Gumbo." He warned him. "You been playing and flirting with the kid from the get go, and he's been doing the same right back, but that wasn't no play back there. He was a hair away from marking and claiming you right then and there. You get what that means for a feral? The human in him may be willing to play, but the cat aint. You're just damn lucky that the cub has more control than anyone I've ever seen."

"Dat wasn't what y' t'ink, Wolvie." Remy wiped his hands over his face to get the water out of his eyes and then tipped his head back so the shower sprayed onto his hair. "He was just reacting to m' charm, dat's all. Kept using it to calm de girl down, back in de house and den on de jet, an he was just reacting to it."

He heard Logan snort and knew the man would be shaking his head to go with it; he'd seen that gesture countless times when Logan thought he was being stupid and missing something that he considered obvious. "If it was just your charm, then why'd he spend the rest of the flight standing guard over ya?"

Now that was one question that Remy didn't have an answer to. He couldn't even deny it, either. For all his relaxed pose on the floor, Spencer had very much been standing guard. The lazy way in which he sat and had rested his head against Remy hadn't covered up the readiness that the Cajun had felt in him and that told him that Spencer could go from lazy to alert in the space of a single heartbeat. He'd also set himself at just the right angle that he'd been able to watch everyone around him while also being able to still see the back hatch—watching all threats and entrances. Yes, it had been clear to Remy that Spencer was standing guard over him. What wasn't clear was _why,_ and why Remy hadn't been bothered by it. No, 'not bothered' wasn't the right way to describe it. More—_enjoyed_. He'd enjoyed having Spencer right there, being able to pet at his hair, knowing that the man was keeping watch for him. He'd enjoyed knowing that all that power and strength was right there and knowing that Spencer would use it for _him_. Even now, the thought put a warm feeling inside that he didn't understand. He'd always prided himself on being independent. People didn't take care of him—he took care of them.

There was a whisper of movement that told Remy that Logan ha straightened up from the counter. "Just think about it, Rem." His feral friend told him in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Figure out what you want, before things go too far. Otherwise, someone's gonna get hurt."

With that final warning, he left the bathroom and left Remy to try and untangle his confused thoughts.

CXCX

Half an hour after their return to the mansion, everyone—minus Kasey and the young girl—gathered in the library once more. The tension in the room now was much more than it had been before they'd left, though. Before, the air had been filled with worry, but mostly with anticipation. Now things were much more tense and definitely more worried. Things hadn't gone at all according to plan and it showed in the reactions of those around the room. Spencer took it all in and had to fight to settle himself so that he didn't react to it. However, it left him on edge enough that he stayed in feline form.

Charles had his chair set right beside one of the couches. On that couch sat Scott and Jean. Hank had come in as well and he was seated in a rather large armchair that Spencer had a feeling was specially made for some of the larger and heavier mutants in the house. Logan was by the fireplace, one arm lifted to rest on the mantle, somehow managing to look both bored and annoyed all at the same time. An unlit cigar was clamped between his teeth. The way he kept fiddling with it told Spencer that he was a hair away from saying screw it and just lighting it, which, judging by the annoyed looks that kept getting thrown Remy's way, probably wouldn't be a very good idea. Remy was sitting in the open window with a lit cigarette dangling from his lips, one leg dangling inside and the other one drawn up to rest on the sill with him. His one arm rested on that upraised knee and what looked to be a throwing knife was slowly twirling through his fingers in a gesture that managed to be lazy and just a little bit insolent. He radiated this aura of danger and sexuality in his loose-limbed sprawl that had Spencer smiling slightly to himself. The scent of blood was gone, thankfully. It looked like he'd not just changed his clothes but taken a shower too. His fresh scent floated nicely through the room.

It was quite a group that he and Lilo were walking in to here. Lilo had come outside a few minutes ago to let Spencer know how his phone call back home had gone. No one there was all that happy, as Spencer had expected, and Lilo said it had taken a bit of smooth talking but they agreed to lay low and not come out unless Spencer called for them. "But Tanya wants you to call her as soon as you can." He'd warned Spencer.

When the two made their way into the library, it had been to this scene here, and Spencer had sensed the tension almost instantly. He knew Lilo did, too. The both of them took everything in with a sweep of their eyes, noting everyone and their positions in the time it took them to take a few steps. Spencer saw it all, but he dismissed it. Let them be tense. Things were done and over with and it was too late to go back and change them. They needed to focus on the present now.

He didn't give any of them time to start anything. He turned towards Remy and asked "Do we have those documents you scanned?"

Remy lifted one hand and gestured lazily towards the desk where the computer sat. "Got dem all uploaded dere." He didn't get up, though. Just sat there and watched from behind his sunglasses. Gone was the fun-loving Cajun he'd been flirting with all night long. In his place was this deceptively lazy, definitely withdrawn man.

A little niggle of worry grew in Spencer's stomach. A worry that he'd been feeling ever since he walked away from the Blackbird. _What do you expect?_ His mind scolded him. _You practically mauled the man on the jet and then sat there at his side like some leashed pet. Did you think he'd just be relaxed and pleased to see you? Flirting with an animal is all fun until it comes time to actually deal with that animal._ Spencer tried to ignore the pang that that gave him. He turned his head towards Lilo, who understood the look immediately. He brushed his fingers over Spencer's arm and nodded. "I'll get them printed off, Pen. You go ahead and deal with the debrief." He murmured lowly.

Yay. He had a feeling that debriefing with these guys was going to be nowhere near as easy as it was when he was with his team.

He grabbed one of the armchairs and turned it just enough that he would be able to see everyone before he slid down into it. The only person he couldn't see was Lilo. The angle to watch the others meant that Lilo was at his back. That was fine, though. Spencer trusted the man behind him. Lilo had guarded his back countless times before.

Spencer's body looked far more at ease than he actually felt. He sat down in the chair and folded his legs up so that his feet were tucked underneath his knees. This chair was another one that had been made slightly bigger than normal. It made it a perfect perch for Spencer's slender, long limbed body. He settled in and rested his arms on his knees, letting his hands dangle down, while his tail curled up along his side to wrap around his waist and stay out of the way. Reaching down into his pocket, he pulled out the earbud that he'd dropped in their earlier and he carefully slipped it into his ear, ignoring the curious looks now coming this way. Once he got it in, he said "Kasey? You still online?"

"_Here, Boss._" Came Kasey's voice through the earbud. "_I figured you'd put yours in for the debrief, so I kept mine in. I got Remy's back from him, so it's only you, me and Lilo that are still on._"

"Perfect." Spencer murmured. "That simplifies things. How's the girl doing?"

"_Finally asleep. She's settled down on the bed in a fresh nightshirt that Jean gave her. She's still clingy, but she's out pretty hard. I get the feeling she hasn't been sleeping much lately._"

"Do we need Lillian?"

There was a pause in which he could tell that Kasey was thinking about it. "_No. When I asked before, she claimed there was nothing worse than some bruises. It would make sense, considering everything I saw says Garfield's been away from home for more than a few days._"

"All right. Keep an eye on her and let me know the instant anything changes."

"_Can do, Boss._"

That taken care of, Spencer brought his attention back to the occupants of the room, all of whom were watching him now. "The girl is fine." He told them in answer to their curious looks. "She's sleeping now. Kasey spoke with her and between her words and his own senses, he's pretty sure there aren't any serious injuries that we need to worry about right now."

"I'd like to check her over in the morning and make sure of that myself." Hank said politely.

There was honest concern in his voice and that had Spencer smiling just slightly at him. "So long as she's okay with a male examining her, I'd appreciate it, Dr. McCoy. If not, I'll bring in my personal physician. She usually treats those we bring in that are injured."

"Who is she, Dr. Reid?" Charles asked him. His tone was polite, too, but there was an intensity to his gaze as it landed on Spencer.

This was a question he'd known was coming. Shrugging one shoulder, Spencer sat back. "I have absolutely no idea who she is. Kasey, did she tell you her name?"

"_Mina._" Kasey answered promptly.

"Mina." Spencer repeated. "He says her name is Mina."

It was Scott who asked the next obvious question. "If you don't know who she is, how did you know she was there against her will and not willingly? You seemed dead sure when you and Remy took off to get her."

"I couldn't be positive, not until I saw her." Spencer admitted. "But all the signs were there. The way the guards were set up were just as much to keep someone in as they were to keep people out. But there were quite a few things that really clued me in." He didn't wait for them to ask before he launched into an explanation. "The first of which is the fact that he's the supposed head of one of the biggest trafficking rings that I've ever come across. The probability of him being involved in something like that and _not_ owning a slave of his own were less than three percent. Then there were the pictures that were on the bookshelf. I counted seventeen, total, all displaying Lionel at various children-oriented fundraisers. In each picture he was posing in the midst of children. Occasionally there were doctors there, as some were cancer fundraisers. In others there were teachers, when the fundraisers were for music or arts. Now, those could just indicate that he wants to look good when he runs for senate."

As if unable to resist, Jean asked "What made you think differently?"

"How he stood with them." Spencer shifted in his seat and, without even realizing it, his hands started to move, to make small gestures in front of him. This was profiling, something he was comfortable and familiar with, and he fell back on old habits and mannerisms as he spoke. "He was never near any adults, always the children, and he never was just standing there. There was none of the awkwardness you can see sometimes in politicians when they're doing it only for the photo opportunity. The way he stood with them, the way he angled his body towards them, the hand he put on a shoulder that looked just a little too familiar, the way he seemed to prefer to be in the midst of a pile of children, plus the fact that every child he touched in each picture looked to fall into the age range of eleven to fourteen, told me it was highly likely that the man's a hebephile. A hebephile is a person who is primarily attracted to children who have at least started puberty and show signs of adult sexual development, but are still young."

A tense silence followed his words while everyone digested what he'd said. He could see the various reactions in them all. The disgust, shock, discomfort, anger. It varied from person to person. Hank and Charles exchanged a brief, speaking look between them, and Spencer wasn't sure if it was just old friendship or telepathy that allowed them to speak without a word there. Jean reached out and curled her hand around Scott's, an outward show of the distress and temper he saw flashing in her eyes. Logan looked angry. Though, he snuck a glance over at Remy, the one person in the room who didn't outwardly react. Remy was still in the same position as before. His throwing knife still dancing across his knuckles and twisted this way and that in moves so fluid and quick that Spencer privately marveled at his ability to do so without cutting himself. But while everyone's outward reactions didn't show much, the spike in their scents clearly told Spencer just how angry this made them.

The sound of a printer interrupted the silence of the room. It surprised everyone and snapped them out of their internal thoughts. Charles was the one to pick the conversation back up again. "It was quite a risk you took, going to get her." He started out.

Spencer couldn't stop himself from interrupting. "It was the _only_ choice." His tone was sharper, just a hint of a snarl to it that he couldn't keep in.

"I agree." Charles said smoothly, not the least bit bothered by Spencer's interruption. "You and Remy did the only thing you could in that situation. You two saved her tonight, and for that you should be proud." He looked between the two, acknowledging them both with his words. Remy tipped an imaginary hat at him; Spencer said nothing. He just waited. He knew there was more. Sure enough, Charles looked at him once more and kept going. "I was simply commenting on the risk you took, not just in going over there, but in getting her out. According to Scott, you removed your earbud when you sent Remy out with the child."

This was what he'd known they were going to get to. From the instant he'd made that decision he'd know they were going to question him on it. He didn't know what explanation they wanted, though. And he most definitely didn't want to talk about it. He never wanted to talk about it when he fought. "I simply did what needed to be done. I went over to that room because I knew there had to be a person in there and I couldn't leave them there. I went and distracted the guards because getting the girl out became the priority. Remy had her calm, so it was more logical to let him be the one to take her. They were all risks, yes, but calculated risks."

"It wasn't just you that you were risking, though." Jean pointed out. She cast a discreet look over to Remy.

For the first time since this had started, Remy had an actual reaction to something. The knife stopped twirling through his hand and he used it to point to Jean. "Now don't y' go blaming him fo' Remy's choices, Jeannie."

"No, she's right." Spencer interrupted. He tipped his head and looked through his shaggy hair to where Remy was sitting, catching the surprise there before he looked back over at Jean. "It wasn't just my life I was risking. It was Remy's, too. Trust me, I calculated that in with everything else. But heard plenty about Gambit's skills and I've seen enough to make my own judgments. I had complete and utter faith in him to do what needed to be done. If I hadn't, I never would've asked him to come with me tonight. And before you say it, I know that this wasn't an original part of the plan, but the same thing still stands. I had faith in him and his abilities. I trusted him to do what needed to be done, and he proved that my trust in him was well founded. While I agree that tonight's events didn't quite end up the way any of us wanted, there's nothing we can do to change that, nor would I even if I could. We got the girl out, which became top priority the instant we discovered her existence, and we got the data out as well."

Behind him, he heard the printer finally stop, and the sound of rustling paper as Lilo gathered it together. Pushing up from the chair, Spencer let his gaze run over them all once more. "This was a win tonight, everyone. It wasn't perfect, but it was a win. Remember that. Now, if you'll pardon me, I need to see about getting to work on decoding these documents." Head held high, his tail up behind him, Spencer turned and made his way over to the desk where Lilo was waiting, not noticing the looks of surprise and amusement that followed him.

Lilo noticed, though, and he was grinning slightly. There was even a soft chuckle in their ears from Kasey, who thoroughly enjoyed Spencer's speech. Lilo's amusement grew when he watched Spencer take the papers and he could actually see it as Spencer switched over to that analytical part of his brain that he used to analyze things like codes and patterns and such. One look and the feline was lost inside of his own mind, surrounded by the code. That left Lilo to take care of other things. He kept himself close to Spencer, one hand at the ready just in case Spencer took to walking or any of those other absentminded things he did while thinking, and he turned his attention to the X-Men. "Do you guys have an evidence board or something like that for him to write on and to hang things up on? Otherwise, he's liable to start laying things out here on the ground and start working that way and, trust me, it makes a giant mess that way."

"The War Room would have what he needs." Jean suggested, looking to Charles and getting a nod in return.

Logan shot that down quickly. "No, not there. Your office would probably be best, Cyke. Plenty of space, an windows."

When he said 'windows', there was a moment of collective understanding. No more explanation than that was needed. "That works." Scott agreed. "Remy, why don't you take them down there and help them get set up?"

"_Mais oui_, Scotty." Remy said, his voice so fake sweet that even Lilo was looking at him now. He ignored all those looks and just pushed up off the windowsill, strolling gracefully towards the door, not even looking in Spencer and Lilo's direction. "Dis way, _mes amis_."

Lilo caught Spencer's arm and steered him in the direction that Remy was going. All the while in the back of his mind he wondered what the hell was going on. Remy and Spencer both were acting differently with one another, not flirting and barely even acknowledging one another this whole time. Inside, he wondered if it had to do with what happened on the jet, and he worried about what it would do to Spencer if that were the case. How would he deal with it if his feral side really had scared Remy off him? He hoped that wasn't it. Because if it was, he was going to have a long damn talk with that Cajun. He'd warned him to be careful with Spencer. If he hurt him, he was going to find that there were plenty of people who were going to have something to say about that.


	18. Chapter 18

Whenever Spencer encountered a code or some kind of puzzle that needed to be cracked, those that knew him knew he could shut out the world around him. The more complex the puzzle, the deeper into his own world he went. Sometimes it was safer just to stay out of his way because the chances were high that he wouldn't even notice you were there anyways. This code was one of the most complex mind puzzles that Spencer had encountered in a very long time and it was taking up almost all of his concentration. Because he was still in feline form, he had enough sense of his surroundings to know when there were people around him. He could still smell them in the room. There were strange scents, some of which had the predator in him tensing, yet threaded through it all was the familiar ink scent that marked Lilo in his mind, ink and leather, and there was the spicy sweet scent as well. Both of those were scents that both human and cougar knew were trustworthy. They weren't a threat and they would keep watch for other threats. He was safe around them.

As he paced the floor, the scents grew weaker and stronger, telling him that they were staying in one place while he paced. Another scent came in at one point and Spencer's body tensed and his ears lowered. Then his mind connected who it belonged to and he relaxed, just a bit. _Scott._ Dangerous, yes. A threat? No. That was all the focus that Spencer gave that thought. His mind went back to the puzzle and once more his world was a swirling mixture of letters changing to numbers switching again into letters, an endless movement, ever changing as each idea was brought forward and then discarded. Prowling over towards the desk where they'd set up the evidence board for him, on which he had taped up all the pages Lilo had printed out, he didn't even think about what he was doing before he leapt up onto the edge of the desk. He folded himself down on the surface that Lilo had made sure was empty for him.

Scott, Remy and Lilo watched as Spencer sat on his haunches on the desktop, Scott wincing slightly as he thought of those nails on the surface, and then the feline bent down and folded his arms over his knees, his chin coming down to rest on his arms. All the while he stayed balancing on his feet. His tail waved lazily through the air behind him, the only part of him that moved. His eyes were locked on the evidence board and the rest of him was momentarily frozen into that stillness that Lilo had only ever seen him achieve as a cat.

"How on earth is that comfortable?" Scott murmured lowly.

A hint of humor touched Lilo's lips. "He can stay like that for hours if need be." He answered in a regular tone of voice. "And you don't have to murmur. He can still hear you. He's just not paying that much conscious attention right now."

One corner of Scott's mouth twitched up in what might've been a smile. "You'd think I'd be used to dealing with that." Shaking his head, he turned himself away from Spencer and back towards Lilo again. "Is there anything we can do for you guys, anything that might help out a bit?"

"Keep strange people back." Lilo answered promptly. "When he's this deep inside himself while feline, his instincts come out more to protect him because the rest of him is pulled in too deeply to try and solve the puzzle. If there's someone he doesn't know or someone he considers a threat, he could react first. He wouldn't kill anyone but he wouldn't hesitate to incapacitate them."

Remy made a small sound that Lilo wasn't sure how to decipher. But the Cajun was turned towards Spencer and it looked like he was watching him through those sunglasses of his. "De cougar watches out fo' de man."

The way he said that was just a bit curious with a heavy dose of something else that Lilo couldn't label. His eyes narrowed on Remy. Annoyance, sharp and bright, prompted him to add "You should probably leave too, Gambit." His lip curled up slightly when Remy's head snapped towards him, the man obviously caught off guard by the cool tone and the name used. Lilo didn't look away from him. He knew his expression had cooled to match his tone and his face would be that mask that most people saw as dangerous but was really protectiveness. "We wouldn't want you to distract him. I'm sure you've got better things to do."

He didn't give Remy time to say anything to him. Lilo just turned and made his way over to take up his post near Spencer. He put himself at Spencer's side, leaning back against the desk so that his back was by Spencer's right side, and he pulled a knife from his pocket and started to idly clean his nails with it. He was every inch the bodyguard right then, a role he took on gladly for the man he considered both friend and boss.

When he saw Remy turn and stalk out of the room—and how the hell did the man make what was so obviously a showing of temper come off as sexual at the same time?—he curled his lip and let his sneer show.

The office door had just closed, leaving them alone, when Spencer spoke. "That wasn't very nice."

There was no point in arguing with the truth. "I know."

"He's just being cool and distant, Lee. He's not condemning me or insulting me. He's not even taking a swing at me, which he would've had every right to do after the way I mauled him on the jet."

"You didn't _maul_ him." Lilo argued. He kept his voice neutral just like Spencer did. Emotional conversations weren't Spencer's forte if they involved his own emotions and he had to play this carefully so as not to spook him and send him back to silence.

"Just leave him be, Lee." Spencer leaned a little, his arm bumping companionably against Lilo's back. Then, with his familiar abruptness, he switched topic completely. "I don't want you staying in here standing guard over me, either. I know you feel it's your job, but it's not."

Apparently Spencer was done discussing anything emotional. It was never easy for him and there were times that Lilo thought that getting Spencer to talk about his personal feelings was just as hard as getting any of the victims they dealt with to talk. Though Spencer hadn't gone through what they had, not to Lilo's knowledge that is, he'd still gone through his own troubles in life. Troubles that he rarely, if ever, talked about. They'd left their scars on him both inside and out just as much as the rest of them carried their own scars. He thought to himself that it was probably why Spencer did so well with all of them. Like recognizes like. Those broken recognize other broken people.

It wasn't the right time to push this, either. He'd leave that for later. Leave it to Tanya, who would be able to draw more out of him than the rest of them. For now, Lilo could only be there for him. "I want to stay, Pen."

Spencer bumped his arm against him again, a sort of silent show of appreciation. "I know. But Kasey's up there with Mina and he needs something to eat and so do you. Besides, I need someone to check in again with everyone back home. Make sure that they all got to a safe place for the night. I know that Lionel will probably recognize my description from the guards, but they haven't been able to locate us so far, so I don't think they'd know where to find anyone. Still, I'm not trusting everyone's safety to 'maybe'. For now, I want everyone to treat it as if our identity is known. I want them safe, secure, and preferably in a group. There's safety in numbers. I'm trusting you to handle all that for me, Lee. If you're handling it for me, I know I'm safe to focus here, where I can be best utilized. Can you take care of that for me? Can you take care of everyone?"

No matter how many years went by since Lilo had been freed, no matter how much time Spencer had spent trying to make sure that Lilo, that _everyone_, knew he wasn't their master and that he didn't own them, not a single one of them could ever seem to fully let go of all their training. They all willingly viewed Spencer as the 'Boss' of their group. He was a leader they _chose _to follow, not that they were forced to. He was someone they were happy to work under. And, as such, when he complimented or praised them, or moments like now where he handed over such obvious trust, it mattered more than anything else. The trust that Spencer was giving him right now, trusting him to take care of the family that he was so protective of, filled Lilo with warmth and had him sitting up a little straighter. "Of course I can, Boss."

He heard the smile in Spencer's words when the man said "I knew I could count on you."

There was a lightness to Lilo's step when he left the room that hadn't been there earlier.

* * *

Spencer didn't really notice the passage of time as he focused on cracking this code. Or, it was more accurate to say that he didn't really notice _anything_. His whole world was focused on this code and on doing everything he could to break it. The only break he took was once when Lilo came in and brought some coffee. Spencer spared enough time to take a bathroom break and to get Lilo's report on the team, all of whom had made it to their safe houses. Secure that his team was safe, and recharged with coffee, he once again sent Lilo out, this time with the request to stand guard over Kasey and Mina. He knew if he didn't give the man something to do, he'd just stay here or stay right outside the door.

Letters and numbers populated the evidence board. Over and over Spencer wrote things out with the dry erase marker, and over and over he erased them when they proved wrong. The longer it took him to crack this, the more he worried. Either Lionel Garfield was extremely intelligent or he had people who worked for him that were extremely intelligent. Spencer was inclined to believe that it was both, and that wasn't good for them. That made Orion as a whole even more dangerous to go up against. Those worries danced around the back of his mind while the rest of him was on the code.

He was once more perched on the desk, squatting down again at the edge with his hands down between his knees to grip the desk's edge this time, when he heard a whisper of movement that was followed by a scent that had imprinted on his mind. He breathed it in and unconsciously relaxed just the slightest bit. There was another scent that was mixed in with it, though. A food-scent, not a people-scent. Ah. Remy had come bearing food. Spencer wondered idly who had conned him into doing it. After earlier, he doubted that Remy willingly came in here on his own, and he knew for a fact that Lilo wouldn't have sent him. He would've just brought the food himself. Right now he wasn't too happy with Remy and since Spencer had asked him to let it be, Lilo would probably avoid Remy to keep from speaking his mind. He certainly wouldn't send Remy in here.

Spencer waited until Remy's scent got close. Then, without looking away from the board, he said "What can I do for you, Remy?"

There was a beat of silence and then the sound of a tray being set down. "Remy brought food fo' y'."

Though the words weren't rude or anything close to that, they were still said in that cool tone that Remy had adopted earlier, and Spencer had to fight not to flinch under it. Guilt and shame clawed at his stomach. He really had ruined this, hadn't he? One bad episode on the jet and he'd ruined everything. Confident that Remy was behind him and couldn't see his face, he let his eyes close, the only outward sign of the ache he felt inside. Practiced skill kept his voice neutral; not a hint of his inner turmoil showed through. "Thank you. I appreciate the thought. Will you thank whoever made it for me?"

The silence behind him seemed a little off. Spencer fought to ignore it and opened his eyes again to look at the code. He stared hard at it without really seeing what was there. It was all sort of blurring together in front of him.

He heard the brush of cloth against cloth. "Spencer?" Remy's voice was a little less cool, a little more normal, though slightly hesitant. "Is everyt'ing okay?"

Gentle fingers brushed against Spencer's arm and he couldn't stop how he flinched. As soon as he realized what he'd done, he pushed off the desk, letting his body just sort of flow down like that had been his reason for moving all along. Like he hadn't flinched just because Remy had touched him. Like he couldn't still feel the little points of warmth on his arm where skin had touched fur. He moved up to the board and grabbed one of the erasers, wiping down the section where he'd been scribbling and brainstorming earlier. He needed to keep his hands busy. "I'm fine. Just lost in thought, that's all." He said to the board. He deliberately didn't turn around. This was not a conversation he wanted to have right now; or ever, really. He didn't want to get into this. The last thing he wanted was to have Remy of all people try to politely tell him—and Remy would be polite, he knew, not wanting to hurt his feelings—that he liked him and all, but the cat was just a little _too much_ to handle and they could still be friends, right? That was a speech he could live without hearing. He'd heard it many times before. Hearing it from Remy would just be more than he could handle right now.

However, luck didn't seem to be with him. Why should it be? It hadn't so far.

"Spencer, what's going on?" Remy asked him. He sounded like himself again, albeit more serious than normal. "Are y' pissed off at Remy or somet'ing?"

Spencer closed his eyes once more and he tightened his grip on the eraser. "No, Remy, I'm not mad at you."

"Den why'd y' flinch? An why can't y' even turn around and look at Remy, hm?"

The fact that Remy was demanding to know what was wrong with _him_ when _he _was the one acting so different was enough to have a hint of temper pushing past Spencer's guilt. "You're questioning me about _my_ behavior?" He asked incredulously. For the first time since Remy had come in, he turned himself so that he could look at the Cajun. Remy stood by the desk with his arms crossed over his chest and his sunglasses hiding his eyes. Spencer arched a brow at him and his tail gave a sharp little flick of agitation. "I'm not the one playing hot and cold here, Remy. Why don't you figure out your own behavior before you start questioning mine?"

He saw the flinch that told him his words had struck home. Remy didn't walk away, though. He straightened up and lifted his chin with that bullheadedness that Spencer was coming to admire so much in him, though right now it just made him want to growl. "What exactly is dat supposed to mean?"

He couldn't do this right now. He couldn't afford to waste his time with this. Not when he knew how it was going to end, and not when he had something much more important that he needed to be dealing with right now. "We can talk about this later, Remy." He made sure his voice was as controlled as he could make it. "I have things I need to be doing right now."

"An dey aint gonna fall to pieces just cause y' take five minutes." Remy shot back. "So why don't y' just talk to Remy so he knows what de hell's going on here?"

Seriously? Spencer's hand tightened around the eraser until he was afraid he might actually break it. "Do you seriously have to ask that?" He demanded. The guilt and shame from before pushed up again and he shoved them back down, but that left room for the anger to slip in, the only defense he had right now. "We both know what's going on here, and dragging it out this way is not only pointless, it's cruel. I've tried to be understanding and to keep my distance to make this easier for you but that gets very difficult when you stand here and push at me. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get back to work. Go find someone else to bother."

Spencer turned and would've paced away—to the other side of the room, out of here, it didn't matter so long as it wasn't right _here_—but a firm hand reached out and caught his arm. He looked down to find that Remy was suddenly right beside him and how the hell had he not even realized that the man was moving? The sunglasses were gone and furious devil eyes were locked right on Spencer's. "Remy's got de feeling we're having two totally different conversations here." His voice was lower, a bit harder than normal, and Spencer could hear the temper in it. "Why don't y' tell Remy what it is y' t'ink is going on here, cause apparently y' got it all figured out, and Remy, he aint got a damn clue. What exactly is it dat y'r 'making easier' fo' Remy, huh?"

"This." Spencer snapped, gesturing between them with his free hand. He didn't bother tugging on his arm. Masochist that he was, he relished the contact even as it hurt to feel what he knew he'd never have. "I'm not an idiot, Remy, I've see this kind of reaction before. So if you could just save me the stupid speech about it being too much, I'd really appreciate it. I've heard that one enough to last me a lifetime."

There was a moment where he could actually see the stunned shock on Remy's face. It was enough to freeze him, to have him looking a little closer. He watched as Remy's eyes closed and the man drew in a slightly shaky breath. "Y' t'ink de cat scared Remy off." He didn't word that as a question. Just a flat, hard statement.

Though he was beginning to feel like maybe, just maybe, he might've been reading this wrong, he still answered that statement. "Yes. It's not the first time I've seen it happen. I recognize the signs."

Remy blew out a breath and it held a slightly ragged sound to it. "_Merde_." When he opened his eyes again, they were hot and bright and they pinned Spencer. He couldn't seem to make himself do anything as Remy stepped right up into his personal space, backing him up those few inches until he was pressed back against the desk. Even the cougar was quiet though Remy was definitely dominant and threatening. Every part of Spencer held still, watching and waiting, wondering what the hell was going on here. He didn't expect the answer he got.

"Y'r an idiot, Spencer Reid." Remy told him firmly, leaning right in to his space. "An so am I. I wasn't pulling back cause y' scared me off, y' fucking idiot. I was pulling back cause _I_ was fucking scared, all right? An not of de cat part of y'. Least, not directly."

"What do you mean?"

"We been having fun and games, y' and Remy, _mais_ y'r cat wasn't playing back dere on de jet." Remy said bluntly. He stared right at Spencer and didn't mince words. He just laid it all right out there. "Thought it was de charm at first. _Mais _it wasn't, was it?"

Spencer couldn't be any less honest than Remy was being. "No." He admitted. His voice had gone quiet, losing its sharp edge. This conversation was turning out much different and much more serious than he'd thought it would.

"Exactly." Blowing out a breath, Remy let go of Spencer's arm, bringing that hand up to run through his hair. "De cougar in y', he was awfully close back dere on dat jet to just claiming me, and y' and I both know dat. Even Logan saw it. And I'm…Spencer, I aint looking to be tamed."

It was Spencer's turn to shake his head. "Why on earth would I want to tame you?"

"Maybe not y', _mais_ de cat part of y' does. An dere's a part of me dat's scared dat I might let y'. I don't know what I want from dis, from us. I just know I want somet'ing. Y'…y' do somet'ing to me. Somet'ing dat I don't know what de hell it is, an dat scares de ever loving fuck outta me."

_This _was why he'd pulled back? Because he thought that the cat wanted to claim him and he felt wrong—what? Stringing Spencer along? Some of Spencer's anger fell away underneath a soft laugh. Lifting his hand, Spencer pressed it over Remy's chest, marveling at the both of them. How had they both gotten this so twisted? "Remy, your wildness…I like that part of you. I like knowing that you're wild and strong and more than just a little dangerous. I don't want to change that about you." He smiled and shook his head. Amber eyes sparked with amusement and other emotions that Spencer couldn't put a name to. "I won't deny how much the animal in me would love to claim you. You aren't stupid and I won't insult your intelligence by lying to you about something so very obvious. But I doesn't mean what you seem to think it means. Even if I'd marked you back on the jet, even if I took you upstairs right now and claimed you, that doesn't mean that you'd forever be tied to me. It's not a…a marriage contract."

He could see the surprise and confusion that Remy felt reflected in his eyes. "I t'ought somet'ing like dat, it was permanent. A sign between…mates."

"It is." Spencer agreed. An odd sort of peace was settling over him, bringing all this out in the open like this. He actually smiled a little. "But on my part, Remy, not yours. If I did that, it would be a sign of _my_ commitment. It isn't something that magically binds us together. You'd still be free to do what you want, with who you want. Just because I did something that acknowledged you as the one I want wouldn't mean that it requires the same out of you."

"I don't want dat." Remy said in a much softer voice. "I don't want you committing to me when I aint even sure what I want yet. Dat aint right and it aint fair."

Smiling, Spencer lifted his hand from Remy's heart to lightly brush his fingers down his cheek. "You don't get to make that choice, Remy. You can't decide what someone else feels." There was a part of Spencer that warmed over as he stood there. A part of him that he'd been fighting to ignore for days and days now. Maybe since that first day he'd caught Remy's scent on the air, or since he'd first seen that smile. Spencer tucked some of Remy's hair behind his ear and then he cradled the man's head in his palm. Instead of pulling away from the pads on his hand as others did, Remy actually leaned in, rubbing his head against Spencer's palm, and that silly little gesture, the trust and comfort that showed in there, were the final tipping point for him. Something inside of Spencer unfurled. He knew what he felt and he knew that it was in his eyes. He knew that Remy could see it, could probably feel it with that 'charm' he'd spoken of, and the way the Cajun gasped and the happy spike to his scent had Spencer wanting to purr.

What might've happened next, neither one would ever know. The doors to the office burst open and Spencer turned to see Lilo standing there. The look on his face had Spencer freezing. A ball of lead built in his stomach.

Others came tearing in after Lilo, but he and Spencer only had eyes for each other.

"Someone attacked the safe house." Lilo said, his words echoing in the silent room. "They ran, but not all of them…"

"Who?" Spencer asked, the one word throbbing in the room.

"They took Abigail and—and Darcy." Lilo's voice throbbed over her name, his iron control cracked.

Spencer closed his eyes as the pain ripped his world apart.


End file.
